Turnabout Incident: The Twisted Prosecutor of Fear
by InstaGimp
Summary: A seemingly normal day turns strange and then impossible as Blackquill finds himself in unfamiliar territory thanks to a complete stranger. It doesn't take long before he realizes how dangerous this new land can be. But how will he fit in? And why was he brought here? Only one person knows, and she's not telling. Can he find his way in this mystical wonderland?
1. Prologue

**Phoenix Wright and Touhou. I really don't have any reasons why I think these two series go together so well...um...they're both Japanese...?**

**Originally I'd planned a typical "OC ends up in Gensokyo and does shit" fic, but then I realized I'm terrible at making my own characters. Hell, I can't even properly characterize EXISTING characters. So I decided to bring in the Ace Attorney series, making it "Blackquill ends up in Gensokyo and does shit." Maybe in the future I'll write an OC fic, but not now. Enjoy! And Yukari is a troll.**

* * *

Prologue

Turnabout in the City

"The court finds the defendant...guilty."

The verdict of the familiar bald judge echoed throughout the courtroom, prompting an almost comical wail of despair from the accused, a similarly high-pitched dejected outburst from the defense attorney, and a typically nonexistent reaction from the now-famous prosecutor.

Blackquill couldn't help inwardly smirking at the sight of his originally confident and arrogant opponent's facial expression. _Typical amateur, thinking he can save the world. Or something along those lines. _The rookie reminded him of the lawyers at the Wright Anything Agency, minus the selflessness, sense, and skill. Speaking of which...Athena had invited him to lunch. Hopefully he wasn't late.

The judge turned to him. "Well, Prosecutor Blackquill, it appears you have done it again."

"Must I speak falsely encouraging words to this moronic upstart? It pains me, and I have more important matters to attend to."

"...Well...I-I suppose not..."

"In that case, I will take my leave. Thank you."

He whistled sharply, and Taka flew to his shoulder.

"Traffic?" Taka shook his head, which meant...he looked at his watch. Whew. He'd be right on time. Without another word (but several glares) the intimidating prosecutor strode out.

* * *

_I never thought Athena would eat somewhere so...refined, _Blackquill mused as he approached the exceedingly formal-looking establishment. He knew he'd remembered the address correctly, but he was still uncertain whether he'd arrived at the right place.

_Something's not right. _

Athena never liked eating at such restaurants, finding the waiting time dreadfully dull and the food over-elegant. As Edgeworth once quipped, "Even Burger King tests her patience." Though the statement was indeed a joke, Blackquill knew from experience how true it could be at times.

But on the other hand, her car was parked not far from his. He shrugged. Perhaps she wanted to try some Mediterranean cuisine?

As he walked to the entrance and opened the door, he missed seeing Athena's car fall into a gap that materialized from nowhere and vanish completely.

"Fufufufufu~" chuckled_—_well, we already know who she is._  
_

* * *

As Blackquill was guided to his table, he steeled himself. Already he could tell that something was extremely fishy about this whole arrangement, and while part of him screamed to run away, another part of him was rather curious just what was going on.

"Your table, sir. Can I get you two something to drink?"

He seated himself. Across from him was a woman wearing a frilly, aristocratic purple dress with red ribbons. Next to her was a...pink parasol?

What the hell was this woman doing with a parasol in LA?

_On the bright side, I can rule out any extremely deep subterfuge. No secret agent would wear something so...attention-grabbing. Except perhaps the Phantom._

"Perhaps later, thank you," the woman responded. Her voice was just as mysterious as her identity. Something about it seemed...foreign. Yet she spoke perfect English.

It took a second to realize that the waitress was looking expectantly at him, notepad and pen at the ready.

"Oh. Uh...water, please."

The waitress quickly jotted down his request. "Okay, I'll be right back. Let me know if there's anything you need, okay?" She then headed off to another table.

Neither Blackquill nor the woman spoke for a while. It was Blackquill who broke the silence.

"You're not Athena."

"Clearly enough, but I'm sure that's not the only inference you've drawn."

"Who are you?"

"You wish to know my name already?" The woman laughed. "In due time, Simon Blackquill. In due time."

"People usually introduce themselves if they haven't met before. _With their name,_" Blackquill hissed.

"I hardly took you as the type to know all about social etiquette."

"_Why am I here?_"

"Now that," the woman said, "is the question I've been waiting for you to ask."

There was a brief pause before the conversation continued.

"Tell me, Blackquill, what do you know about youkai?"

He almost snorted. "I know that they are born of human myths, and as such are nonexistent. Did you really lure me here to ask me such a pointless question?"

To his surprise, the woman sighed. "As I thought, you are wrong."

"How could that definition possibly be wrong!?"

"Simple," the woman replied. "Youkai are not imaginary. They are _real._"

"..." Understandably, Blackquill was more than a little shocked. Eventually, he gave an beautifully, eloquently stated reply.

"...you're insane."

"Some have said so before."

"Completely, utterly insane."

"I can already see trying to convince you otherwise would be futile." The woman stood. "At least by conventional means. Follow me. We'll drive to somewhere a bit less crowded, and you'll see how wrong you are."

"And what's stopping me from ignoring you and driving away?"

"One thing." The woman grinned. "I'll be using your car."

* * *

"Hm. That _was _a pretty good vehicle. I suppose I'll have to borrow it again next time I visit."

"You were lying, weren't you? This must have all been part of your agenda," Blackquill spat accusingly.

"Part of my agenda, yes. But I assure you, I was telling the truth."

"Fine. Even _if _youkai are real, which I know they're not, why did you have to drag me all the way out here to prove it!?"

The odd pair were in the middle of an abandoned warehouse. Cliche as that may sound, what happened next could only have been expected by Touhou fans.

"You'll see some youkai yourself, of course." The woman pulled out a watch_—where did she get that watch!?__—_and grinned again. Blackquill was rarely unnerved by anything, but this woman's grin elicited that reaction from him every time. "Hm. Already afternoon. A shame. I did enjoy talking to you, you know."

"Rest assured, the feeling was hardly mutual."

The woman laughed. "You really are an interesting one! I wonder how you'll react when I do _this._"

She clicked her fingers, and a large purple void formed a meter or two in front of Blackquill. For a moment he wondered whether or not he was dreaming, or if some hallucinogen had somehow found its way into his breakfast. Finding neither of those hypotheses likely, he only had one thing to say...

"What the hell!? What is that thing!?"

It didn't help that as he shouted those words he noticed a multitude of golden eyes staring at him from within the gap.

"This, my dear acquaintance, is a gap." Another, smaller gap opened up next to the woman's shoulder. Sticking her arm through it (where it _vanished from sight_), she seemed to feel around for something and then pulled out a wallet. "Yours, by the way."

_Wait..._

Blackquill stared. "When did you_—_"

"While you were busy making a fuss on the car. Really, I'd expected you to notice." The woman giggled.

Remember how I said that the woman's laugh unnerved him? Well, the giggle was even worse. _Definitely not a sound I'd want to hear in my house...at night...__  
_

Surprisingly, Blackquill's logical mind reasoned that there was no point in trying to ponder whether or not youkai were real, as something completely impossible just happened in front of him. Youkai being real would hardly surprise him at this point.

"Proof enough, Prosecutor?"

Blackquill sighed. "Yes. But I still don't understand why _I'm _here. I doubt you merely wished to broaden my horizons."

"No. There's more to it than that. But for now..." Suddenly, Blackquill felt a hand forcefully shove him toward the large rift that had been since a while ago.

"...you've earned a free trip to Gensokyo! See you!"

"Dammit, woman! ...and where the hell is Gensokyo!?"

As he fell into the portal, it closed, leaving no sign that it had ever existed.

"...I guess I'll return your wallet later," the woman chuckled.

* * *

**THE PROLOGUE IS OVER. Sorry, it was short. Welcome to my new story! Are you as excited as I am? Probably not, but I'll assume you are. I actually have no idea what the story is going to be like, but I'll think of one...probably. Leave a review or follow (I'd be surprised if you favorited this already) please!**

**Blackquill: No one will leave you anything, you stupid author. What made you think sending me into no-man's-land was a brilliant idea?**


	2. Chapter 1

**The sparkl aventurs of Blakwill Kuntinoos**

**In this all new chappie!**

**So Blackquill's already met Yukari (though he has no idea what her name is). This time, he meets the person almost EVERY outsider meets first: Reimu Hakurei. Hopefully this meeting goes a bit better. **

**Enjoy. Leave a review plserino**

**-GinstaWimp**

* * *

Chapter One

Crash Landing

_What the HELL is this!?_

Blackquill considered the appearance of those woman's gaps odd enough, but the sensation of being inside one was definitely...new.

First of all, there were a LOT more eyes than he thought. All around him, under him, in every possible direction were eyes. What perturbed Blackquill was the fact that he couldn't judge how far those eyes were from him. Even as he was moving, the eyes never seemed to get any closer.

Second, he was floating, but didn't feel weightless at all. He...you know what, never mind. He never even had time to finish his thoughts before he found himself surrounded by blue sky.

It took but a moment for his brain to realize the implications of such as observation.

He looked down. Trees. Hopefully he could survive this fall_—_he'd learned some useful ways to soften a landing in the past. He was only about thirty or forty feet off the ground, so executing such a saving maneuver wouldn't be _too _difficult.

Of course, in reality, all of this was instinct to him. He prepared himself as he neared the tree tops. At around fifteen feet he kicked against a nearby tree and curled, rolling as he hit the ground and narrowly avoiding smashing his head into another tree's trunk.

He lay on the ground for a while, panting.

"...Well."

_I suppose that was an...entrance test of sorts? I passed, then._

His back still hurt like hell, though. His body was rather cut and bruised, but at least he wasn't _dead_.

"Oi! Are you alright?"

Turning his head from his position on the ground, he could see a Japanese girl running towards him dressed in red and white. He stood to get a better look; he recognized that outfit. This girl was a miko.

_But aren't miko Japa_—oh, hell.__

He groaned, startling the stranger.

"Oh. Are you hurt?"

"...I'm not in the United States anymore, am I?"

The girl blinked. _Oh. He's an outsider. _"Wherever that is, no, you aren't. You're in Gensokyo."

Blackquill swore. "There's that word again! I know Gensokyo isn't the name of a country. Where is this place?"

"In Japan."

"...more specifically?"

The girl looked thoughtful for a moment. "Hm. I actually don't know. I do know that no one in Japan or anywhere else knows that Gensokyo even exists. After all, this place is a haven for youkai_—_" She stopped herself. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't_—_"

Blackquill shook his head. "I've already been informed."

"Oh! That's convenient. By whom?"

"A woman in purple, with...a parasol. A very _odd _individual." Blackquill almost spat out the word 'odd.'

The girl scowled. "I know _exactly _who that is. Yukari Yakumo."

"So that's her name, is it?"

"Indeed it is. And I'm quite aware that I'm odd, thank you very much."

Both miko and prosecutor immediately looked around for the source of the voice before the former looked up. "Dammit Yukari! Stop eavesdropping!"

Yukari was sitting on a gap **(A/N: Yes, it's perfectly normal that she can do that. Check PCB.)** with a demure smile. "But this conversation concerns me, doesn't it, my dear Reimu? And can't I come and see how the outsider is faring after that fall? It was from around thirty-three feet, after all."

The girl could not possibly have looked more indignant at this point. "Says the person who dropped him in the first place! You knew he couldn't fly and you still did it!"

_Fly...? _Blackquill wondered.

"He survived like I knew he would. I was confident in his abilities."

"Oh, that confidence of yours always gets me into good situations, doesn't it," Blackquill grumbled.

"I heard thaaaat~" Yukari sang.

"Why don't you just get the hell out of here?" Reimu snapped.

"Very well," Yukari said, still with a smirk. "I'll drop by later, okay? Try not to get hurt, Blackquill."

Before he could deliver a scathing reply, the woman conjured another gap and just like that, she was gone.

* * *

"...and she's very powerful, probably the most powerful youkai here. No one ever finds out why she does something unless she tells them, so I'm afraid I don't know why she brought you here."

The miko, whose full name Blackquill learned was Reimu Hakurei, had just finished explaining Gensokyo's conception and history to him. Unfortunately, she reaffirmed what he already knew about Yukari: she was mysterious and cunning. And powerful. Oh gods was she powerful.

What kind of normal being could create a barrier between Gensokyo and the outside world that literally defied reality!?

As usual, Blackquill masked his true thoughts (in this case incredulous ones) with an expressionless face. He then masked his face with his cup of Japanese tea. "Hm...interesting."

"And troublesome," Reimu grumbled. "She can basically do whatever she wants. We're just lucky she's on our side."

"Are there any other interesting people__—__er, or youkai_—_around here?"

"Oh, yes," Reimu answered quickly. "Lots. Almost everyone around here has an interesting story to tell_—_after all, Gensokyo was _created _for the extraordinary. By the way, how _did _you survive that fall?"

"Pardon?"

"How did you_—_"

"OI REIMU!" A blonde girl who looked about Reimu's age slammed open the door and burst into the shrine.

"Gah! Marisa! Not so loud!" Reimu yelled. "Oh, Blackquill, meet Marisa Kirisame. My...erm, friend."

"Hey Blackquill! Cool name! Have you gotten bored of Reimu yet?"

"...that's an interesting friend you have."

"Yes, she's unique all right." Reimu sighed.

"Mhm~"

"Aren't you going to take your hat off indoors...?" Blackquill inquired. It was a weird hat, too, quite similar to a Western witches' hat. A white ribbon was tied around it seeming for no reason other than making it recognizable.

"Nope! I never take my hat off da ze~" Marisa chirped.

Blackquill quirked his eyebrow.

"She wears that hat wherever she goes," Reimu explained. "I think the only time she really takes it off is when she's sleeping..."

"Pretty much."

"But back to that question, Blackquill," Reimu hurriedly said before the conversation could get any more off topic, "how did you survive the fall with so few injuries? I mean, you could have lived with some luck, but you lived with no major injuries. How?"

"Whoa whoa whoa!" Marisa interrupted. "He _fell?_"

"Yukari dropped me into Gensokyo over thirty feet above the forest. A test of sorts, I presume. She wanted to see if I could survive in Gensokyo."

Marisa's jaw dropped. "And you couldn't fly?"

"...Is that normal!"

"Of course! Almost everyone in Gensokyo can fly! Well, youkai and powerful humans like me and Reimu, but still!"

"Hm. I suppose I'll have to learn how to fly, too."

"There's a power threshold for that, sadly," Reimu said. "Generally only those who have some sort of magical or supernatural ability can fly."

Though disappointed, Blackquill gave no verbal reaction as he continued to silently sip his tea.

"So if you couldn't fly...you must have done something else."

"I used a tree."

"You...what?"

Reimu and Marisa both voiced their confusion at the same time.

"I kicked off a tree as I was falling, and then I curled myself into a ball to cushion the impact and roll."

"And you thought of doing that...with no foreknowledge of that you would be in such a situation? And you did it perfectly?"

"It was either that or death," Blackquill said. "And I prefer the former."

* * *

Shortly after dinner with the two friends, Blackquill decided to get some rest. Understandably. Today had, to put it mildly, been unusual for him. He fell asleep within the hour.

"What did you think of him, Marisa?"

"Eh. He's all serious and boring. Kinda like you~" Marisa teased.

Reimu grumbled to herself.

"Just kidding, he's not really boring. The way he talks...it's like he knows things about you that you haven't told him. Kinda like..."

"Me?"

"AAAAH!" Marisa screamed as a face appeared in front of her. "Yukari! I'll kill you da ze!"

"Mmm...no you won't." Another gap, and Yukari took her place at the dining table. "I, too, find him interesting. He's very perceptive, and this trait of his has been enhanced by his profession. He's a prosecutor in the real world. His job is to condemn criminals by proving their guilt to a judge. His methods are quite efficient, I may add."

"Why did you have to bring him here? You know as well as I do that Gensokyo doesn't need the type of legal system the outside world does," Reimu stated.

"That, I'm afraid, is confidential information. But you are correct. It has nothing to do with his being a lawyer."

A large packet of documents appeared on the table in front of Reimu and Marisa.

"This is everything I could find about him. His life story is a _very _interesting read. Almost as if it were a dramatic fiction," Yukari said. "And Marisa, there's two copies in there, so feel free to take one. Come by tomorrow as well, he needs to learn how to fly and use at least one spellcard. It wouldn't do to have him running around completely defenseless."

"Oh, and one more thing. Don't tell him that you can send him back. I'd like him to stay for at least a while."

* * *

**Chapter One is done! Next chapter is when Blackquill gets Taka back. And one other thing...**

**REVIEW POR FAVOR**

**FOLLOW POR FAVOR**

**LE BAGUETTE**

**I'll be seeing you, then!**

**Yukari: Even if you can't see me...ufufufufufufufufu~**


	3. Chapter 2

**So far, the reception to my story has been surprisingly positive for a crossover. I know crossovers don't get much love from either fandom compared to regular fanfics, so I'm very grateful to you!**

**All seriousness aside, BLACKQUILL FLIES. OR TRIES TO DO SO. **

**Enjoy! As always, leave a review. Follows/favorites are nice and appreciated as well, but what matters most to me is your taking the time to write me a message saying what you liked, didn't like, etc. I read every review on each story I write, so rest assured your critiques and/or kind words will reach me!**

**On a side note, today I watched Stevo the Human's reading/animation of "Reimu fights the bad guys of adrkness", a fanfic written while in an intoxicated state. I read the original, and it's every bit as hilarious. I highly suggest you check it out. Talos Angel and alcohol mix both wonderfully and terrifyingly.**

* * *

Chapter Two

Reunion

Of course, Blackquill wasn't _really _asleep during Yukari's visit the day before. After all, he didn't want to miss a conversation about himself. Besides, he'd learned that knowing others' opinions of you beforehand could be very useful both for extracting more information and for simple social reasons. Thus, when Reimu and Marisa came to check on him in the guest room, he pretended to be asleep. Though he hadn't much experience with this particular skill, he'd played dead before and he figured that sleep was merely a less extreme version. In any case, it fooled the two Gensokyians, who left him alone afterwards. The snippets of dialogue he picked up were most interesting:

"He's all serious and boring..."

"He's very perceptive, and this trait of his has been enhanced by his profession...His methods are quite efficient, I may add."

"His life story is a _very _interesting read..."

"Don't tell him that you can send him back. I'd like him to stay for at least a while."

_What does she need me for...?_

Blackquill's brain decided that it had been through enough for the day and decided to shut down for the night.

* * *

The Twisted Samurai awoke to the sound of Reimu yelling. It seemed as if Reimu frequently...ah, strained her vocal cords.

"How have you ALREADY nearly broken something!? Suika, you f_—_"_  
_

"Geez, calm down, Reimu...here, have a drink, why don't cha!"

"No! I haven't even had breakfast yet!"

Blackquill hurriedly dressed himself in his usual (and currently only) garb before exiting his room. What he saw was...

_An...oni. With a sake gourd. __Trying to shove said gourd into Reimu's mouth. _

No sooner had he entered the vicinity than the rambunctious little youkai noticed him.

"That's a new one!" she pointed. "Reimu, who is he~?"

"Make yourself at least somewhat presentable! You don't want to leave a bad first impression!"

"What's wrong with sake~?"

Reimu sighed exasperatedly. "Blackquill, this is Suika Ibuki. Suika, Blackquill."

"Hey Blackill~I mean Blackquill!" Suika hiccuped. "Nice to meet you!"

Before Blackquill could deliver a similar statement, Suika had locked him into a firm handshake. By oni standards. Which meant Blackquill nearly had his arm yanked off.

Blackquill cradled his arm for the rest of the morning, wincing every now and then. At least he could still eat and perform basic tasks by himself; Suika had grabbed his weaker hand.

* * *

"Hm. You seem to be doing well."

Yukari's voice came out of nowhere (as usual). Blackquill and Reimu, both still eating breakfast, yelped in surprise, while Suika was completely oblivious. "Entering a room normally or giving people forewarning isn't a terrible idea, you know!"

"Oh hush, Reimu. I'm only here to talk to Blackquill."

"Oh hey, Yukari!" Suika waved, still chugging sake.

"How much sake does that hold?" Blackquill asked, a bit perturbed at how much sake the oni had already consumed.

"An infinite amount." Reimu sighed. "Which basically means she drinks day and night. Plus she's an oni, so she can actually make use of having an infinite supply. That stuff's strong, though. I would suggest not drinking it yourself..."

"Reimu here would know from experience," Yukari noted humorously, causing Reimu to blush.

"Don't mention that_—_"

"You made some _very _interesting comments," Yukari added. "For example_—_"

"YUKARI!"

Yukari let out an exaggerated sigh. "Really, with this little self control, how can you expect to do your duties well?"

Reimu made no further comment, burying her face into her arms.

"Anyway, Blackquill, I've brought something of yours over from Los Angeles." Yukari created a gap, and a hawk flew out with a loud screech, startling even Suika. It then attempted to attack Reimu, who shrieked and fell out of her chair while trying to avoid its talons.

Blackquill let the faintest traces of a smile form on his face. "Many thanks, Yakumo-dono." He whistled, and Taka flew to his side.

"...he's your pet!?" Reimu shouted incredulously.

"My companion, yes." Blackquill raised an eyebrow. "Is there an issue with his residing here?"

Reimu was about to voice an objection, but Suika spoke up first.

"Ooh! That's cool!" Suika slurred drunkenly/typically. "Can I pet 'im?"

"Be gentle," Blackquill warned. Suika nodded. "Taka, go to Ibuki-dono. Don't harm her."

Taka obeyed, and let out another loud screech as Suika smacked his head a _tad _forcefully.

"I said, _be gentle._"

Blackquill's noticeably harsher tone surprised Reimu. _So Yukari was right about him...he's not the social type._

Suika meekly relented, letting go of the bird, who flew back to its master immediately.

"A word of advice, Blackquill," Yukari said in a tone very different from her usual mischievous lilt. "Some beings in Gensokyo will demand respect. Your authority and reputation mean nothing here. Only your strength does. Thus I would suggest not being so direct and instead become a little more...sociable."

"Hmph."

"Of course, you'll need to develop some defensive capabilities too." Yukari grinned. "Which means we'll need to teach you some basics."

* * *

It wasn't long before Blackquill found himself with Reimu, Marisa, and Yukari in a field near the Hakurei Shrine. The witch was still grumbling about being suddenly gapped out of her home, which annoyed Reimu and amused Yukari to no end.

"First of all, you'll learn how to fly."

To be honest, if Blackquill hadn't eavesdropped the night before, he would have been shocked. Instead he nodded.

"You'd be surprised how easy it is. Flight requires magical energy, which the outside world doesn't have much of. Thus, it is difficult, if not impossible, for beginners like you to fly there. Once you master flight here, where there is more energy, you should be able to fly in the outside world too."

"How do you know he himself has enough power to fly?" Reimu questioned.

"It's a hunch." Yukari winked. "I'm not telling."

Reimu grumbled but didn't pry any further.

"Marisa, would you care to instruct him? You are the only human here who actually had to learn how to fly."

"Why should I!? I was in my house less than five minutes ago and then you_—_"

"Now, now, let's not dwell on past matters," Yukari tutted. "Would you _kindly _teach Blackquill how to fly?"

Marisa gulped. "Uh. Um. Sure! I'll do it!"

"Thank you, Marisa." Yukari smiled sweetly. "I'll repay you later."

Marisa nodded quickly. "Okay, so, flying is actually really simple. There's nothing special, it's all about determination at first. If you tell yourself to fly, then you will!"

"Essentially, yes. But, again, you do need to have either an ability or some sort of affinity for magic to fly. Most humans, for example, can't. Marisa here_—_" Reimu pointed. "_—_is an exception."

"So she doesn't need her broom to fly."

"No, but she uses it as a conduit for her spells. Since her spells are so flashy, she uses more energy, so the broom helps with that."

"I can also fly faster, ze."

How riding a broom increased maximum velocity, Blackquill had no idea. But, then again, outside world logic only loosely applied here, if at all.

"So here's your test! You've been told how to fly, so now..." Yukari created a gap under Blackquill's feet.

Before Blackquill could reply, he found himself falling through the cloud layer, the Hakurei Shrine a tiny speck on the ground from his perspective.

"Will yourself!" Yukari shouted from the ground.

"YUKARI!" Reimu screamed. "ARE YOU INSANE!?"

"It's the easiest way to get him to fly. It requires immense willpower to do it at first, so..."

"Still, that's crazy da ze! What if he can't fly?"

"Oh, he can. Trust me."

"Trust _you!?_"

* * *

_Oh gods_.

That phrase was all Blackquill could think as he started falling.

"Will yourself!" Yukari's voice could be heard clearly even from this altitude. Apparently she could manipulate her voice too, not that he cared at the moment.

_No trees even remotely close by. No solid objects. I can't do the same technique as before._

_I'll suffer severe injuries if I hit the ground, no matter how I land. _

_That means..._

Blackquill gritted his teeth. He could already imagine the impact, a single moment of pain and then...well, whatever came after death. He wouldn't be surprised if there was an afterlife.

_No! I've had enough of this! Fly, you stupid form! Fly!_

Nothing happened. The ground got closer and closer...

He strained his mind as hard as he could. One last promise to himself!

_I! WILL! NOT! DIE! TODAY! _he mentally yelled.

But of course...he did...wait what the_—_

* * *

"It would seem that he's passed," commented Yukari to a shocked Reimu and impressed Marisa.

"That's the fastest anyone's learned flying, isn't it, Reimu?"

"He'd have had to learn fast if he wanted to live!" Reimu shouted. "Seriously, Yukari! What were you thinking!?"

"My method worked," Yukari responded flatly. "No harm done, right? I would have saved him if he fell too far, anyway."

"But...oh, never mind..." Reimu conceded, though reluctantly.

* * *

It was as if a switch had been flicked in his head. He looked down at the earth now from a bird's eye view, with his arms and legs extended outwards.

_This is...a life-changing experience._

From this angle, the world looked completely different. Dense forestry became patches of dark green. Everything seemed so...

_Insignificant._

He could see a mountain in the distance, an enormous expanse of trees, a large village, and great swaths of farmland. It was a sight he would not forget.

Was this how Taka saw the world? Was this_—_no, he shouldn't get too philosophical yet. Landing safely was the number one priority. Rumination could come later.

Flying, he found, was guided mostly by instinct, similar to walking. There was no real thought required to go to a location; it was simply done. After a minute or so of flying in a figure-8, he slowly decreased his altitude, being careful not to descend too quickly.

As he landed, he became worried at the sight of Yukari's grin.

"Reimu, this next lesson will be quite...difficult. You and Marisa may wish to cancel any prior engagements...not that you usually have any." Yukari threw in the jab at the shrine maiden to great effect, Blackquill noticed.

"Hold on, what comes next?" asked Blackquill, though he already knew.

"Dueling. And I'm very interested in seeing what you're capable of, so I've brought something of yours." To everyone's surprise, Yukari handed Blackquill a worn katana with a black hilt.

Blackquill recognized the blade immediately.

It was his own.

* * *

**Next chapter: Blackquill learns what a spell card duel is! ...and of course he has to make a spell card himself. Easier said than done.**

**Review, follow, all that jazz. Remember, I'm review-hungry, not stat-hungry!**

**Ciao!**


	4. Chapter 3

**This chapter delves further into Blackquill's abilities. Exciting stuff, no? ...No? Well you can go f**_—_

**Never mind! Oh, and I have no experience with Japanese swordsmanship, so I will use a grand total of zero traditional terms and instead settle for descriptive writing. I would say that my motive is to make it easier for readers to follow along, but the truth of the matter is that I'm too lazy to look the words up myself XD**

**Lol. Anyway, enjoy! Leave a review. It's strongly encouraged. And by that I mean anyone who doesn't do so gets whipped by Franziska. Hard.**

* * *

Chapter Three

The First Duel

The katana looked devoid of dust, a major surprise given how long it hadn't been in use. Maybe Yukari cleaned it for him?

"I believe it's been quite some time since you last used this, judging by how much dust there was," Yukari stated simply, affirming his belief.

Blackquill nodded. He hadn't used his sword ever since the trial. Though he used the tricks he'd learned as intimidation tactics in court, he never performed said tricks with an actual weapon. "Dueling here is different, is it not? How will this help me against youkai?"

Marisa snorted. "A lot of youkai are actually kinda weak. If you can use a sword well you should be fine."

"Some of them are mischievous, though," warned Reimu. "And most humanoid ones are strong. Except fairies."

"Well, there's Cirno."

"...well, she's not very good at _using _her power."

"Ignoring them," Yukari continued as Reimu and Marisa kept bickering, "You are correct. Dueling _is _very different. There is, in fact, a system of rules and guidelines for dueling, the implementation of which Reimu and I enforce very strictly. It's called the spell card system..."

* * *

**I'm going to leave out the part where Blackquill learns what the spell card system is. If need be, I'll write it out at a later date, but I'm sure most if not all readers know what it is. If not, go to the Touhou wiki: **** wiki/Spell_card**

**Or read literally any other story about a character falling into Gensokyo. The key thing to note for this story is that spell cards can be used _outside of spell card duels_ to much more lethal effect.**

* * *

"So...how do I make a spell card?"

"First, you need one of these." Reimu held out a blank slip of pure white paper. "This is a blank spell card. It becomes an attack based on your thoughts. Remember, danmaku is nonlethal, so thinking about killing your enemy won't do anything. Outside of a spell card duel, these cards can be lethal and have no restrictions, but, as Yukari said, we've tweaked things so that most duels, if not all of them, become spell card duels automatically."

"Is it possible to declare a duel outside of the spell card format?"

"No one has yet to find a good reason to duel in any other way, but yes, you can. Though since using a sword isn't illegal in the spell card system you won't have to worry about that. It's treated as danmaku, meaning it won't kill anyone. But if you try to hurt someone too badly then there will be consequences," Yukari answered.

"...you always keep mentioning punishments if a person tries to violate the spell card system. May I inquire of you what these punishments are?"

Yukari smirked. "Well, all of your spell cards deactivate for a month. During that time you cannot enter any spell card duels, which means any altercation you find yourself in will go your opponent's way."

"That's a tad harsh."

"It was necessary. Some youkai can be bloodthirsty."

"Enough, ze! Show us what you can do!" Marisa interrupted eagerly.

"...I myself have no idea what my capabilities are."

"Oh, just try waving your katana around. Something might happen."

"'Might'?"

"Well...probably not. It's better than nothing though, ze!"

"Okay..." Blackquill performed a basic slashing move.

Of course, nothing happened.

A jab.

Still nothing.

A lunge.

...need I say more?

"Bah! This is boring! Heck, I'll duel you!"

"What!? I haven't a single spell card!"

"You have a blank one. Maybe it'll become something during the duel! Besides, you need to practice flying! Let's go, da ze!"

Reimu was about to protest, but Yukari put a hand on her shoulder. "Marisa won't hurt him too badly. She'll show some flashy, threatening patterns, and probably induce a reaction in Blackquill's own magical potential."

"...Do you really trust her?"

"No," Yukari admitted. "But I hope that's what she does."

* * *

"Can I at least duel with my blade until this...spell card is created?" Blackquill looked at the only reliable form of offense he had. Holding it while flying felt strange. Well, all of his old techniques would still work decently. He'd have to refine them for aerial combat later, though.

Marisa looked thoughtful for a second. "Sure! Not that it'll help you." She laughed. "Let's start da ze!"

"She's already cocky," Reimu muttered as Marisa drew a card. "Which means she'll make her attacks pack even more punch than usual..."

"It'll be alright," Yukari assured the miko. "At least he can't die."

Reimu glared at her.

Up in the air, Marisa grinned at Blackquill. "I'll start with an easy one! **Magic Sign "Stardust Reverie"**!"

The card floated into the air and glowed for a second before bursting into a huge pattern of spiraling stars.

Blackquill had but a moment to admire said pattern before dashing out of the way of another collection of bullets Marisa fired.

"Hm. He still hasn't gotten hit yet," Reimu observed. "Though that's far from Marisa's strongest spell."

"Even still, it's impressive." Yukari giggled. "It looks like he has more to him than I thought."

After a few seconds, Blackquill managed to close the gap between him and Marisa. As he slashed at the floating card, he noticed the glow becoming dimmer.

_That must mean it's taking damage. But not nearly enough!_

_But there's no way I can ever think of attacking Marisa when she has this much firepower. I need to either create a ranged attack of my own, or I need to get past the card and attack Marisa in the center..._

Suddenly a searing heat came from Blackquill's pocket.

"Gah!" Blackquill, disoriented by the sudden pain, was hit directly by a projectile. He crashed into the ground, wincing.

_What was that__— _He pulled out the spell card from his pocket. _Oh._

The card was no longer blank. Instead, a picture with a few words below it took up the previously white space.

"Is that..."

"A spell card?" Yukari looked surprised. "Why, I think it is."

Blackquill stared dumbly at the card in his hand. _Well, time to see what it does, I suppose._

Holding the card up, he pronounced, "**Sword Sign "Shadow Strike"**!"

The card rose from his hand and glowed...

And still nothing happened.

"What...?"

"Boooooring~!" Before Blackquill could ready himself, Marisa had launched a massive number of bullets at him.

Blackquill was about to move out of the way when he found himself next to Marisa. They were both equally surprised.

"Wha_—_" Before Marisa could launch another barrage, Blackquill swung his blade at Marisa.

"Ow!" Marisa's card, having lost the power of its owner for a brief moment, deactivated and fluttered back into Marisa's pocket.

Blackquill was already back at his original location. Somehow after he hit Marisa he'd warped back. Huh. It seemed he'd created the perfect card for the situation. Creating attacks with thoughts was certainly useful.

_Interesting. _The Twisted Samurai uncharacteristically laughed with excitement. _Perhaps there is more to this place than I originally believed._

* * *

"A...melee spell card?" Reimu stared, dumbfounded. "That's..."

"Unorthodox. But it does work with his style of combat." Yukari wore an unusually serious expression. "That spell card should be researched. He doesn't have an innate ability that lets him manipulate time or space, so it shouldn't be possible for him to vanish and reappear so quickly."

"Are you sure that's allowed within spell card rules? It's not really danmaku, and it can't be destroyed the same way as other spell cards."

"It should be fine."

* * *

"Are you alright, Kirisame-dono?"

Blackquill looked concernedly at the blonde witch, who was clutching her side.

"That hurt..." She whimpered. All of a sudden, she pulled out another card, a smile on her face. "Well, you have a spell card now, so I'll use something a bit tougher! **Love Storm "Starlight Typhoon"**!"

And then came another haphazard rain of star-shaped magic bolts. Had he not trained his reflexes and agility in the past, he would have felt the full force and power of all the bullets in the attack. Instead he was only hit by about one fifth of them. Still more than enough to cause a great deal of pain.

As the attack ended by itself a minute later, Blackquill's right arm sleeve was already singed, his trademark outfit badly burnt and torn. His left arm, already hurt by Suika, was...not in the best condition, though, due to only being harmed by danmaku, still whole and intact. Needless to say, he declared a loss right then and there.

* * *

"Don't feel bad, you did really good!" Marisa said as she finished her sake in a single gulp. She was sitting next to him on the front steps of the Hakurei shrine, along with Reimu and Suika, who was busy chugging sake just inside, within conversation range. Yukari had left shortly after lunch, taking Blackquill's new spell card with her.

"...My arm aches much more than my ego, thank you very much..."

"Oh. Heh." Marisa scratched her head. "I mighta went a bit overboard on that one, ze. Sorry."

"'Might'!?" Reimu looked rather miffed for something that didn't even affect her in any way. "Look how badly you hurt him!"

"I'll recover. I didn't suffer any major injuries."

"But still..."

"See? He says it's fine! He understands, right Blackquill?" Marisa threw her arm around his shoulder.

Blackquill froze at the sudden contact.

"Kirisame-dono, I would very much appreciate it if you removed your arm."

"What? Are you shy?"

Blackquill glared.

"You are!" Marisa laughed. "That's so cute!"

Blackquill felt blood rushing to his cheeks. Wordlessly, he hid his face with his teacup (he, unlike the others, chose not to drink alcohol).

"You're embarassing him, Marisa." Reimu sighed. "That's Marisa for you. No consideration for others. You'll get used to it."

Blackquill nodded, unsure what to think.

"He reminds me of Alice_—_"

"Who reminds you of me?"

Another blonde was approaching them, a few dolls floating around her. Yes, floating. Completely normal.

She looked more normal than Marisa, anyway.

"He does!" Marisa pointed at the prosecutor and only male present, who had resumed sipping his tea.

The new girl stared at him. "He's an outsider."

"Yep! And he's shy and serious and easy to tease, just like you!"

The reaction Marisa elicited was a flustered expression and an intensely reddened face.

"But I_—_"

Blackquill looked at Reimu. "Who is she?"

"Oh! Uh, Alice, introduce yourself."

"Of course." Alice composed herself, though still a bit red. "I'm Alice Margatroid, the Seven-Colored Puppeteer. Who are you?"

"Simon Blackquill. I am a prosecutor in Los_—_I mean, the outside world."

"He can also use a sword, ze."

The puppeteer raised an eyebrow. "Oh? What else can he do?"

It was Reimu who spoke up. "He can also fly. We taught him today."

"Plus I battled him and he made a spell card! But Yukari said she needed to examine it and took it."

"Why'd she take his spell card? Was there anything special about it?" Alice inquired, curious.

"It wasn't anything like a normal spell card...it's a bit hard to describe. He can show you once Yukari returns it, though."

"Hakurei-dono, may I have another blank card?"

Reimu blinked. "Um...why? You already have one, don't you?"

"As you stated, it is not at all a typical type of attack. I would like to create another spell card."

Finding nothing wrong with Blackquill's request, Reimu handed him another white slip of paper, which he put into his pocket.

"I'll fight you again!" Marisa offered enthusiastically. "I want to see what you can come up with!"

Blackquill ignored her and instead turned to a completely different person. "Margatroid-dono, are you able to duel?"

Alice smiled. "Of course. But don't you need_—_"

"This?"

All eyes turned to the gap youkai who_—big surprise!__—_came out of absolutely nowhere. In her hand was Blackquill's spell card.

"By the way, Alice, go easy on him. He's only been in Gensokyo for a day." Yukari smirked. "Enjoy your upcoming loss, _Blackquill-dono_."

As Yukari vanished into another gap, Blackquill felt his face again grow hot.

_I hate that woman._

* * *

**Blackquill fights ALICE next chapter! If any of you saw this coming, well, liar. XD**

**Leave a review! I appreciate the favorites and follows, but could you let me know what you think of the story in a review too? It helps a lot. Thanks!**

**-Insta "Dinklebooty" Gimp**


	5. Chapter 4

**I just realized that my Blackquill is slightly out of character. I have revised some lines of dialogue in the previous chapters to somewhat alleviate this issue. Anyway, I decided to assign Blackquill two seperate abilities. The first is agility. Not speed, but agility. He can move very quickly, but only for small distances and motions (for example, while in combat). This explains how he is able to use bladeless iaijutsu (as the Wiki calls it) in court to intimidate the defense: he flicks his hand ****_really, really _****quickly. So Aya is still the fastest in Gensokyo. It also explains his first spell card. The second ability is more interesting, and I'd like your thoughts on it. Leave a review!**

**-PimpstaPimp**

**Did I mention how terribly rushed this chapter is? No? Sorry. **

* * *

Chapter Four

The Inexplicable Card

"And no one has even seen him since he entered the car? Not a single glimpse?"

Edgeworth's tone made it clear that he doubted the investigative skills of his subordinates.

Detective Gumshoe scratched his head nervously.

"As far as we know, sir, no. We asked all the staff, and they all said he got into his car with a woman. No one knows where they went."

"What did the woman look like?"

"Uh...this probably sounds really weird, sir, but apparently she was blonde, tall, and had a really frilly dress. And a pink parasol."

"...that _is_ very odd. Has anyone located the car?"

"Yeah. Right in front of his house, like he never drove it anywhere at all."

A myriad of possibilities raced through Edgeworth's head. It was uncharacteristic of Blackquill to miss work ever since he earned his freedom, much less a full afternoon and the following morning. Perhaps he was kidnapped by the woman? ...But then why would she wear something so noticeable? And why was Blackquill's car the one used?

"Thank you. You may leave."

As the detective hurried out of the office, Edgeworth sighed. There was only one group of people who had a chance of finding out what happened quickly. Reaching over to the phone, he dialed an oft-used number.

"Hello? Yes, it's me. No, Phoenix, this is a genuinely concerning matter. Do you remember Blackquill? He's gone missing..."

* * *

Blackquill, meanwhile, was preparing for another fight with another magician. Holding his spell card in his hand, he waited for the duel to begin...

"Start!" Marisa yelled.

Alice wordlessly held out her arm, and...

_How many dolls is that!?_

Blackquill didn't even have time to ponder this question, as the dolls immediately began to fire.

_I'm not close enough to use it. Ten meters or so..._Quickly spinning to the side to avoid a beam, he mentally cursed as he heard Alice declare her own spell card.

"**Puppeteer Sign ****"Maiden's Bunraku"**!"

Several of the dolls fired large lasers, while others shot blue trails of bullets. Needless to say the initial attack of the remaining dolls had not ceased.

He'd be lucky to survive this spell card; if Alice was going easy now, then he shuddered to think about Alice actually trying.

Left, down, left, left again, right, up...there, an opening! Blackquill, seizing the opportunity, dove right into the gap in the danmaku pattern...

And found himself staring at a bullet coming right at him. There was no way he'd be able to avoid the bullet with this little time...

He instantly drew his spell card.

"**Sword Sign "Shadow Strike"**!"

As he flicked the card, he slashed at the air, knowing that as soon as he began moving, he would appear right where he wanted. As such, Alice had no time to avoid Blackquill's katana before it hit her.

"Gah!" Alice fired another bullet that went in a completely different direction. Barely smirking, Blackquill went back to his original location...

And was directly hit by the shot Alice had fired. Damn. Had she already figured the spell card out...? If so, he was in deep trouble for this match.

"That's interesting," Alice said while grinning, "but you'll need more than that."

Reimu, who was observing, couldn't help feeling sorry for him. "Alice has already seen through his trick. This is not looking good..."

"Yeah. Hopefully he makes a new spell card soon, because Alice already knows how to deal with this one, ze."

_Hm...I suppose it's time to analyze my opponent again._

_She's much better at not letting me approach. Not easily disoriented by my spell card, she actually knows exactly where I'll end up after I use it, meaning she gets a free hit. She's confident, but also calm. In short, she has the perfect mentality, and it's allowing her to gain the upper hand..._

_Wait..._

_I have experience with psychological manipulation. Could that somehow become a spell card...?_

The idea seemed preposterous, but, he reasoned, there was really no harm in trying.

_Assuming I CAN make a spell card out of this, I'd like it to...hm..._

_Temporarily worsen her mental state...I think...sadness will be a good emotion to instill. She seems an aspiring magician with a positive outlook, so...?_

To his immense surprise, the card in his pocket grew warm.

_It actually worked. _

As he weaved through the next wave of bullet fire, he pulled out the previously blank card.

"**Mind Sigil "Despair Resonance"**!"

The card floated up into the air, and, to everyone's surprise, it flew directly at Alice.

Reimu stared. "What!?"

"Has a card ever done that? I don't think so da ze!"

The card stopped right next to Alice. Simultaneously, Blackquill's katana became enveloped in a purple glow. Instinctively, he swung it, releasing a swarm of purple projectiles.

_Decent, I suppose. But too easy to avoid. Still, range is range. _

"Alice!? What are you doing!?" Marisa screamed. Looking closely, Blackquill noticed that the dollmaker's eyes were shut tightly, and that she hadn't moved at all.

_What did I do...?_

* * *

_Darkness._

_There was darkness everywhere._

_"Shanghai?" Alice called out. "Where are you?"_

_Out of the blue (or, in this case, black), the little doll appeared and flew toward her master. But something seemed terribly off about the painstakingly crafted lifelike figurine..._

_"What's the matter? Is there something wrong?"_

_The doll quivered for a second, and then it slowly fluttered to the ground (not that she could tell if there was one) and fell limp._

_"Shanghai...!" Alice cried. And as she looked around, she noticed all of her other dolls, Hourai, Orleans, all of them lying down, lifeless. _

_Trembling, she bent down, gingerly picked Shanghai up, and turned it over..._

_...and looked into the unseeing eyes of her best friend._

_The dead, glassy eyes of Marisa Kirisame..._

* * *

"NO!" Alice screamed out of nowhere, startling Blackquill, Marisa, and Reimu. Her eyes opened, and then widened as the purple bolts smashed into her. She flew backwards, wincing heavily. "What...!?" She pointed at Blackquill. "What did you do!?"

"Hold it!" Reimu shouted. "This duel is over! What happened!?"

The card, its job done, floated back over to Blackquill, who pocketed it and landed back on the ground. "I have absolutely no idea."

* * *

"Where is Taka?" Blackquill inquired, noticing the absence of his pet hawk in the shrine as he entered.

"I took him into town to buy him a perch!" a not-completely-drunk Suika replied.

"...But you're in the shrine."

"Well, I'm also in town."

"...The sense in that statement is nonexistent."

"Suika can control density," Reimu explained. "So, for example, she can make clones of herself."

Blackquill glanced at the little oni girl. "That does explain why she looks even shorter than usual..."

"Hey! I'm older _and _stronger than all of you! Just because_—_"

"Yes, we know," Reimu interrupted, but the oni was already back to drinking sake. Sigh. Well at least Suika was sober for around twenty seconds. That had to be a record.

"My sincerest apologies, Margatroid-dono."

"It's alright...though I would like to know about that card of yours."

"What did it do?" Marisa asked eagerly.

"It..." Alice frowned. "I actually don't remember. It seemed to affect my mind. I felt...miserable and weak. I wanted to cry."

"That's why 'despair' is in the name, I'll bet," Reimu hypothesized. "So you can control people's minds, too?"

"It would appear so. I tend to intimidate others in court to manipulate them, but I assumed that it was more driven by my personality and appearance."

"I wouldn't call it 'control.' Manipulation is a more accurate term. Remember, he didn't even know what his spell card would do."

Yukari again came out of nowhere to deliver a comment. However since it was relevant no one really minded. It wasn't as if Yukari's sudden entrances were uncommon occurrences.

"I think there's more that you can do with that mind of yours...you just need to find out what it is." Yukari held up Blackquill's spell card, which she'd just snatched from his pocket. "I'll be taking this with me, too. Thank you!" With a cocky grin, she slid into another gap and left.

"Anyway, I'll be going now. Patchouli said_—_"

"Ooh, are you going to visit Patchy? I'll come along too da ze~"

Alice did what those in the outside world would refer to as "facepalming."

* * *

Afterwards, Suika left the Hakurei shrine too (though she did return Taka). Which left only two people.

Reimu stared at Blackquill as he cooked a...well, "soup" for dinner. Reimu was skeptical of its quality since its color resembled that of one of Marisa's potions. The prosecutor promised that it would be good, though. She hoped it was; he insisted upon doing his "share of the labor."

Still, there was one burning question that she hadn't had the chance to ask him yet. Ever since she read the documents Yukari gave her, she'd been curious about his character. He seemed distant at times, but seemed to care for his hawk and a certain girl. It was the latter that intrigued her especially...

"Blackquill?"

"Mhm?"

"This is a personal question, but..."

Blackquill finished chopping up a carrot and threw it into the pot before turning to her. "What? Out with it, already."

"Who is Athena Cykes?"

Blackquill looked shocked that she knew the name before realizing that Yukari probably informed her about him. He was silent for a few seconds. Finally, he responded, "I'll recount my story during dinner." He sighed. "It's a long one."

* * *

**A discussion about Athena Cykes next chapter! This may or may not be important. AKA said character may or may not play a major role later on! I'm terrible at writing dialogue (and writing in general), so I suppose you guys are really in for a poisoned treat this next chapter. Enjoy it! lol.**

**Leave a review por favorino**


	6. Chapter 5

**All the kind comments...from one person. Thank you, faithful reviewer. **

**Well, since no one reads these author's notes anyway, I suppose I should just present the chapter that no one will bother letting me know their thoughts on. Ah, the pleasantly shallow waters of self-pity. In all seriousness, you guys have left me with little to work with. No ideas, no critiques, no suggestions, it's very disconcerting. I know very well that the visitor count is quite high on this story, so I can only assume that most of you didn't care for what you read. If so, could I inquire as to why that is the case? Did you not like the style? The plot? I'd love to know.**

**-InstaGimp**

**And another rushed chapter. But hey, no one's been complaining about 'em! lol**

* * *

Chapter Five

Tale of a Twisted Samurai

"Enjoy," Blackquill said as he placed the pot of soup onto the dinner table. By this time Reimu was already starving, so she impatiently grabbed the ladle and filled her bowl with the broth. Blackquill followed suit. For something made out of whatever was stocked in the shrine, it looked quite good. Normally he'd use more meat, but he couldn't find much. He sensed that people rarely donated to this shrine...not that he'd ever ask Reimu directly about such a topic.

"This tastes good. I'm surprised you can cook."

"Thank you, Hakurei-dono."

The two continued the meal in silence until Reimu spoke up yet again.

"In case you're wondering how I know about Athena, Yukari gave me a...profile about you. So I already know a lot about you," Reimu said. "But I don't understand why you did those things. Why would you__—__"

"Sacrifice myself for her?"

"Yes, that."

"Well, I had an extremely important psychological profile with me, one of a spy known as the phantom. However, there was a chance that he might know I had it. Going to prison was the simplest way to ensure it remained intact until needed."

"...There's more to it, isn't there?"

"Yes. The other reason is much simpler. Athena was but a child at the time. She probably didn't even know what she'd done...I couldn't very well let her be punished for that, could I? The loss of her mother was punishment enough. At the time, there was no reason to believe that the phantom had anything to do with the murder of Dr. Cykes, so I took the blame to protect her..."

"Were you really one day from being__—__" Reimu stopped herself, mentally scolding herself for being so insensitive.

"Executed?" Blackquill's voice still held no emotion. "Indeed I was."

Another lull in the conversation.

"...How did you feel, knowing you would be executed one day?"

"Strangely enough, I didn't feel very afraid. I wasn't afraid of death, but rather of how my execution might affect Athena. She knew I was innocent, and believed she was guilty. Even I believed she was. But everything has ended in the best possible way. The true culprit is behind bars. Athena is now an attorney, and an excellent one at that. Wright-dono is the best possible boss she could have, though that term is quite inaccurate...he is more of a fatherly figure, a positive influence. And I am still alive. Alive with a dark reputation, but still living and breathing nonetheless."

"What dark reputation? Weren't you proven innocent?"

"Yes, but that isn't enough for some." For the first time in the entire conversation, Blackquill spoke angrily. "They make claims that Athena was corrupted by me and that there was some conspiracy to cover up my misdeeds, headed by the Chief Prosecutor and Wright-dono. As if! It is understandable that others would fear me, but their disdain need not extend to others so viciously!"

It seemed that Blackquill's vocabulary magically increased when irate. Whether this behavior was intentional or not, Reimu didn't know.

"But forgive me. You asked about Athena, correct?" Blackquill had traces of a smile on his face. "Marisa would probably get along with her well. They are both quite...whimsical and energetic. You, on the other hand...would probably befriend her, but be wary at first."

"Why?"

"You prefer to act stoic and hide what you feel to maintain a reputation for being invincible and indomitable," Blackquill stated with a smirk, "but Athena can read emotions."

Reimu blushed. "H-How do you know I'm like that!? I'm not like that at all!"

"First of all, you just told me. Second of all..." Blackquill's tone grew solemn. "No one is truly emotionless. Athena and her ability proved I have only met one person who could truly claim they felt nothing, and even then he succumbed to his fear. You should know who I'm referring to; I doubt Yukari left that information out of my profile."

Reimu nodded. "The phantom you mentioned earlier."

"You would also know that I worked with Athena's mother, Metis Cykes, to track said phantom down, and that I spent a great deal of time in Athena's presence. I connected with her in a way her mother could not. Looking back, it is ironic how an esteemed psychologist failed to establish a bond between herself and her own child...I took her place in Athena's mind. I would tell her stories, indulge her childish fantasies, supervise her, and do all that a parent would do for a child."

"Was she a good child?"

Blackquill snorted. "Mischievous as all hell...and she was clever. Metis never suspected a thing...but she was kind. Metis made her wear special earmuffs because, as I said, she was sensitive to emotions. She would get overwhelmed in the presence of others without them on. So while she was more talkative around those she knew, she tended to shy away from strangers. She still acts this way, to an extent...she's quite unique and hard to describe. You'll never understand until you meet her."

"It's alright. Let's just eat...could you pass me the big spoon, please?"

"It's a ladle."

"Same thing!"

* * *

"What do you mean, 'Simon's gone missing'!?"

Given the volume of the exclamation, one might assume that it was Apollo Justice and his fabled "Chords of Steel" that had delivered it. But this was not the case.

Athena Cykes glared at the cringing form of her boss. "Geez, Athena! Not so loud! Anyway, Edgeworth called just now. He said that Blackquill hadn't shown up to work yesterday afternoon nor today. And apparently no one's even seen him at all since noon yesterday!"

"When was he last seen?" asked Apollo.

"This is where things get weird..."

* * *

"And so he wants us to help find him." Apollo's tone made it clear that he was less than pleased at the Chief Prosecutor's request.

"Pretty much," Phoenix replied.

"Do you realize how impossible that is!? He could be anywhere right now!"

"I wouldn't know about that," Athena said thoughtfully. "I don't know anyone who would carry around a pink parasol. We should start by asking around about her."

"But they've already questioned the staff..."

"That doesn't mean other people don't know about her," Phoenix pointed out. "I'd imagine she'd be difficult to forget if you've met her before!"

"Yes, they say I'm one of a kind."

"Exactl—WAIT WHAT THE HELL!?"

The three attorneys of the Wright Anything Agency all wore shocked expressions as Yukari suddenly appeared in the doorway.

"Fufufufu~so this is the legendary law agency of Los Angeles..."

"Who are you!? Tell us what you've done with Blackquill!" Apollo demanded.

Yukari covered her mouth with her fan, looking as innocent as possible.

"Who, me? I haven't done anything."

"Liar!" Athena shouted. "You kidnapped him!"

"But it was his own car that was driven, wasn't it? Who's to say he didn't attempt to kidnap me? In that case anything I may have done could pass as self-defense, couldn't it?"

"But—" Athena gave up, grumbling to herself. She already hated dealing with this woman.

"Rest assured that Blackquill is perfectly fine. He is, in fact, in Japan."

"Japan!?"

"Yes," Yukari said seriously. "If you want to find him, I would suggest booking a flight to Kyoto in...a week or two. He should be available then."

"What do you mean, 'available'!? You're not the boss of him!"

"Oh, but I am." Yukari grinned. "It will all become clear quite soon. Once you arrive in Kyoto I will find you. I would suggest maintaining a low profile; you three are quite famous in Japan as well."

"Really?"

"Surprisingly so. Farewell, Athena Cykes, Apollo Justice, Phoenix Wright. Tell Trucy I said hi. I'm surprised you didn't ask her about me first; she's met me before."

The three attorneys looked at each other, all sharing the same unspoken question. _Who is this person!?_

But as they turned back to Yukari, the gap youkai was already gone.

* * *

"Do you think...Yukari knew about your potential?"

"Most definitely. Yakumo-dono would not waste her time with me otherwise. You say that she is mischievous, but I am fairly certain that this is no mere whim of hers. If only I knew what she needed me for...I am far from the strongest here, nor am I the smartest. In fact I would say she herself fits both of those titles."

Reimu looked half-annoyed, half-worried. "There's always trouble when Yukari has a plot. I know she cares deeply about Gensokyo, but I'm still uneasy."

"If it does not inconvenience you, could you give me the profile for tonight? I would like to see how well Yukari has researched me."

"Oh! Uh, sure. I mean, it's about you anyway."

Reimu got up and retrieved a brown packet from her room. "Yeah, there's a lot of stuff. I'm going to the human village for a while, so take your time..."

"Mhm. I assume the sake there is better than anything you can find in the shrine? Bring a bottle for me as well, if you would be so kind..."

Reimu instantly reddened.

"H-how did you know—"

"No manipulation this time; Marisa told me about your weekly drinks with her."

"That little—" Reimu's grip on her gohei tightened.

"It is unfitting for a miko to use such uncouth language." Blackquill smirked. "Goodbye, Hakurei-dono."

Reimu huffed. "Hmph! To you as well! _Blackquill-dono_!"

Blackquill pulled out a document as Reimu stormed out of the shrine.

* * *

**Okay, just because Reimu drinks doesn't mean she gets completely smashed all the time. Just a clarification. I do think minor drinking suits her, though.**

**Rev**—**oh, do whatever you want. Pray to the RNGesus, kick an innocent puppy, whatever.**


	7. Chapter 6

**Thank you all for the reviews! It's nice to see people's thoughts.**

**So Blackquill's powers, while not yet fully realized, are quite potent. Of course, Mind Sigil "Despair Resonance" only really works as a surprise weapon, as those who know what it does can overcome its grip on their minds. Speaking of which, let's go over his two spell cards so far:**

**Sword Sign "Shadow Strike": Inspired in part by Zed's Death Mark from LoL. Upon activation, Blackquill warps next to his opponent. After he hits the opponent with his katana (this strike is also more powerful than a normal slash) he teleports back to his original location. Outside of a spell card duel, Blackquill can use this card to teleport anywhere within a short radius and return to his original location any time within the next few seconds, until the card wears off. **

**Mind Sigil "Despair Resonance": The first and certainly not last Mind Sigil spell card that he will have; I plan to give him three. While I know other characters have varied names for their spell cards, to reflect Blackquill's logical style I decided to classify his cards based on what they do. In this case, an image that instills sorrow is implanted into the target's mind. Unlike normal spell cards this one breaks based on how hard the enemy fights the illusion. Of course, this card's unique effects (the mind manipulation, not the bullets, though Blackquill currently cannot use enough raw power to generate much danmaku) are negligible on, simply put, mentally tough and strong-willed people. It also fails on children, though this fact is unlikely to be important. **

**All spell cards will increase in strength as Blackquill himself increases in strength, obviously.**

**-InstaGimp**

* * *

Chapter Six

Of Chronicles and Third Eyes

"Oh, Blackquill, Yukari said to give you these." Reimu held out a few blank spell cards. "So whenever you feel like making one, you can."

"And in case I have none left?"

"Well, I could give you more, but if I don't have any you can buy some from the human village."

"...I only have U.S. currency..."

"Actually, as soon as you come in the border, the money you have should automatically be converted. Yukari made it that way for convenience. Have you checked since you got here?"

Blackquill blinked. He took out his wallet and looked inside. Sure enough, the dollar bills had been replaced by yen.

"The human village has many cool places to see," Reimu said. "And most of the stuff is reasonably priced...at least the food is."

"That's all you buy anyway, correct?"

Reimu raised her gohei threateningly.

Blackquill drew his blade, smirking.

"HEY REIMU!"

Marisa burst into the shrine, only to stop and ask: "Uh...what are you guys doing?"

Reimu sighed. "Nothing at all...anyway, Blackquill, do you want to visit the human village?"

"I see no reason not to."

"Okay. We'll be flying there, by the way. It's a pretty short trip, so you should be fine. Remember to land in the forest outside the village. The humans don't like it when someone 'shows off', apparently."

"I'll come along too!" Marisa ran back out of the shrine, grabbing her broom. "Let's go, da ze!"

Blackquill began to follow Marisa when...

BAM!

"Don't make fun of me!" Reimu pouted. Then she smirked. "Or I'll just have to hit you again..."

Blackquill could only groan in agony from his place on the floor...hold on, what was that green...?

A little girl sat a fair distance away from everyone, silently observing. Noticing Blackquill's stare, she looked shocked, before timidly whispering,

"Can you hear me?"

"...Yes...?"

"Usually no one else can," the girl said sadly. "They can't even see me."

Blackquill didn't really know how to respond.

"Do you live here?"

"Yes."

"I live in the Palace of Earth Spirits," the girl whispered happily. "It's amazing. And it's underground. You should go there sometime."

"Oi! Blackquill! Are you gonna stay inside all day?" Marisa shouted.

Blackquill scrambled to his feet. "Apologies. It seems I must leave."

But no one was there.

* * *

"For a territory established as a youkai sanctuary, Gensokyo has quite the human population," Blackquill noted.

"Yeah, some outsiders leak through the border accidentally from time to time. Objects too. Either Reimu sends 'em back or they stay here, ze."

"You're the exception, Blackquill...if I didn't know Yukari as well as I do I would have just told you to live here. Not that it's a bad place to live...it's quite lively."

"Lively isn't my style. The less people that know me, the better."

Reimu sighed. "People won't judge you here, Blackquill. You're not in the outside world, remember?"

"But..."

"See? He's not good with people."

"Marisa! Don't say that!"

"What?" Marisa blinked. "I'm being serious. Reimu, think about it. If everybody said you killed someone and you were locked away from everyone else for seven years, you wouldn't exactly be social, ze."

"..." Blackquill was surprised at how perceptive Marisa was. _She's much wiser than she behaves._

Reimu, too, was stunned. "Uh...well, I guess that does make sense..."

"So, obviously, we should make him talk to people!"

Blackquill's eyes widened almost imperceptibly, but Marisa caught his reaction. "Oh c'mon, it can't be _that _bad! You need to learn anyw—"

"Marisa, if he doesn't want to talk with others, it's fine," Reimu interrupted. "For now let's just show him around. Maybe Mokou's yakitori stand?"

Marisa shook her head. "Can't. Mokou got in another fight with Kaguya this morning. She's at Keine's house."

"Oh."

Blackquill vaguely remembered some comment or another from Reimu about the two names. Ah, that's right. The two immortals who took the Hourai Elixir and...murdered each other on a daily basis...

_Oh._

Hopefully their bodies recovered quickly.

"Well, that also rules out Keine's house, so I think we should go to Eientei...wait, Kaguya's probably in bad shape too. And you know how Eirin is when people visit while she's treating her..."

Marisa shuddered. "Yep. Let's avoid that place da ze..."

Blackquill interrupted. "Who is Eirin?"

"Oh, she's another Lunarian, a doctor. She was the one who made the Hourai Elixir. She's...scary, and a genius. But you should probably avoid her. She'd probably be 'interested' in your powers and want you as a test subject..."

"Oh! How about Akyuu's place? He can patch up what he knows about Gensokyo there too, ze."

"Akyuu? As in Hieda no Akyuu? I recall Hakurei-dono mentioning her...is she the chronicler?"

"Yes. I'm surprised you remembered. It's a good place to get acquainted with. She's also friends with Keine, who's basically the go-to person for anything and everything about this town, so that's useful...Marisa, that's not the way to the Hieda house."

* * *

"So Yukari brought you here?"

The ninth Child of Miare was both surprised and not surprised. While Yukari's "kidnapping" of outsiders into Gensokyo was hardly an uncommon occurrence, her picking a specific individual for a nontrivial reason was rare, and usually signified a plan of some sort.

The outsider in question was also enigmatic.

"Yes," answered Blackquill. "Do you have any idea why she would do so?"

Akyuu shrugged. "I know Yukari just about as well as everyone else does, and everyone else knows about as much about her as you do. She's very mysterious, though her shikigami does come here."

"Her...what? She has one?"

"Yes, a kitsune. Her name is Ran. And Ran herself has a shikigami named Chen. That alone proves Yukari's power."

"I figured you might want to include him in the Gensokyo Chronicle," Reimu said. She pulled out Blackquill's profile. "Yukari gave me this. It's a detailed account of his life."

Akyuu accepted the large packet. "Thank you. It shouldn't take terribly long to add this in, so in the meantime..." She looked back at Blackquill. "Would you like to read some parts of the Chronicle?"

"Gladly, Akyuu-dono. Could I see the information on the...Palace of the Earth Spirits?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Why? It doesn't seem like the type of notable lankmark Reimu would inform you about." She eyed Reimu, who shrugged. "I dunno where he heard about it. I never told him, anyway."

"I saw someone today. She never said her name, but told me that she lived underground, in, well, the Palace of the Earth Spirits. No one else noticed her presence."

"That would make sense," Reimu said, more to herself than to Blackquill.

Akyuu nodded. "I don't have much, but I'll see. Reimu, Marisa, I doubt you'll want to stay here while Blackquill's reading the Chronicles and I'm writing it, so come back in about...an hour?"

"Sure!" Marisa, who had until now been awkwardly standing near the door, not participating in the pleasantries. "See ya, Blackquill!"

* * *

"Satori, I made a new friend today! He actually saw me!"

"Really? Do you know his name?"

"...No. And I didn't give him mine either. But I did tell him we live here, so hopefully he comes by sometime."

"Koishi, what if he doesn't remember what you told him?"

"...I think he will. He can affect other peoples' minds too, like me!"

"I thought you said he was a human...?"

"He is one!"

"...Very interesting..."

* * *

Meanwhile in Los Angeles, the Wright Anything Agency was working as hard as they possibly could. Normally they'd have more time to organize files, complete paperwork, etc. but since they were planning to fly to Japan (and hopefully find the missing Twisted Samurai), they didn't.

Even Trucy was helping out, though she agreed to only if she was allowed to visit Japan with the three lawyers. Desperate for help, the two younger attorneys agreed before Phoenix could object **(A/N: God I'm SOOO awful at making jokes.)**.

"Working hard, Phoenix?" Miles Edgeworth inquired, a hint of amusement (and sardonicism) in his voice.

"Uh...yeah!"

"Any particular reason?"

"No, not really. We're planning to visit Japan in about a week's time, so..."

Edgeworth quirked an eyebrow. "Hm. Is there a reason for that?"

"Uh..."

Athena jumped into the conversation. "He offered to take us somewhere as a reward for our hard work, and we chose Kyoto. I think it'll be fun!"

"I see." Edgeworth smiled as warmly as he could (aka still unnervingly cold). "Enjoy the...vacation."

"Oh, we will! Bye Edgeworth!"

"Goodbye, Miss Cykes."

As soon as Edgeworth returned to his office roughly thirty minutes later, he himself ordered a ticket to the same city. He sensed that a simple vacation was not all that their trip was intended to be...

_What are they up to?_

* * *

**So much crap. I should be ashamed, but too bad.**

**Leave a review, as usual. Since this chapter's complete filler, I expect some flak to come my way...of course, if even my filler material is received positively, I'll be pleasantly surprised.**


	8. Chapter 7

**potato**

**The villains of this story are (kinda) introduced, and Phoenix and Co. reach Kyoto. And stuff happens in Gensokyo, ending with a cliffhanger.**

**bread**

**-IDunnoWhatImSayin**

* * *

Chapter Seven

Pulling More Strings

If you asked AL-1 what his name was, he probably wouldn't answer you. In fact, he'd probably cut you down on sight. He'd been ordered to execute any intruders, not that there were any. No sane Lunarian would look for runaways inside of an asteroid.

He navigated the many white halls of the Abyssal Core, pausing every now and then to recalculate the most efficient path to the Room. Today he had good news for the master. As he turned right, he passed by AS-4, who curtsied and stepped out of the way for him. Though most servants here were considered equal, the master valued AL-1 as his most trusted aide. With this trust came respect from the rest of the staff.

At last, he came to a clear barrier. A quick retinal scan by the security system confirmed his identity, and the barrier was dispelled.

"Who is it? Ah, it's you. Come in."

The man stood up from his desk. "I presume you have news, judging by the happiness and hint of excitement you seem to be experiencing."

AL-1 nodded. "We've found what you were looking for, sir."

"Where?"

"Curiously enough..." AL-1 smirked. "On Earth. In the land known as Gensokyo."

"Curious indeed!" The man chuckled. "In that case, we shall send a scout to find it for us. It will also be useful to determine how strong those youkai are."

"Understood. That is all I had to say."

"Thank you. Dismissed."

* * *

MEANWHILE IN JAPAN...

"Do you know where the hotel is?" Apollo asked. Athena shrugged, and she turned expectantly to Phoenix. Trucy was still awed by the skyscrapers and neon lights all around her.

"Yeah. Actually, that lady we met told me specifically which hotel to go to, and gave me directions..."

"...Do you think we'll meet her here soon?"

"I don't know. But anyway, it's apparently this way..."

* * *

"Ah! These beds are so soft!" Trucy giggled, jumping on the bed.

"Now, now, Trucy..." Phoenix began slowly. "I told you we came here to find Blackquill, didn't I?"

"Mhm," Trucy replied absentmindedly.

"And if I'm correct, someone should be arriving any minute now."

"And why should I care?"

"She says you've met her before."

"...Really?" Trucy looked genuinely surprised. "Wh—"

"It would seem you have arrived. Welcome to Japan! And is there somewhere to put my parasol?"

Athena, who'd been silently unpacking her things, shrieked and fell over Apollo's suitcase. She glared at the woman in the doorway. "You! Can't you knock like a normal person?"

"Actually, we all have our own key cards..." Apollo eyed the familiar intruder warily. "How did you get in?"

Trucy sat up. "Is that her?" Suddenly, she gasped. "What are you doing here?"

The woman giggled. "Now, now, Trucy, why are you so surprised?"

Something triggered in Apollo's memory. _Wait...they...don't act like strangers..._

_"Surprisingly so. Farewell, Athena Cykes, Apollo Justice, Phoenix Wright. Tell Trucy I said hi. I'm surprised you didn't ask her about me first; she's met me before."_

"Oh yeah! You mentioned something about Trucy last time you came..."

Phoenix looked at his adopted daughter, then at the woman. "Where have you met her before?"

"I showed her a trick," the woman answered succinctly.

"It wasn't just any trick," Trucy said shakily. "It was...completely impossible!"

"Uh...isn't magic all about doing stuff that looks impossible?" Athena asked.

"No! This was different! She's a witch!"

It was Phoenix who spoke. "I'm afraid we can't form an opinion without seeing this trick for ourselves."

"Actually, it's already been done." The woman held up four cards...wait...

Apollo started. "WHERE DID YOU GET THOSE!?"

"Are those our room keys!?" Athena stared, incredulous.

"I believe that also answers your earlier question, Mr. Justice. I entered the same way all of you did."

"...Wait, you took those before entering the room?" Phoenix shook his head. "That doesn't make any sense!"

"Oh, but it does...and what's more, you have an eavesdropper." The woman seemingly carelessly waved her hand, and a large rift opened up _out of nowhere_, dropping Miles Edgeworth onto the floor.

There was a long period of silence as all five human occupants of the room tried to grasp what just happened. Athena fainted in the process, and Trucy appeared the least shocked (not surprisingly).

Eventually, Apollo summarized everyone's thoughts in a most eloquent manner: "What the fuck?"

* * *

"Wait, no, stop, this is totally stupid!" Apollo interjected. "You expect me to believe that these, er..."

"Youkai?"

"Yes, those! You expect me to believe that they're real? You're basically saying ghosts and vampires—"

"Exist?" The woman, whose name they learned was Yukari Yakumo, smirked. "Yes, they do. I wouldn't recommend visiting the latter, though. She's quite a bothersome little child."

"Complete bull," Apollo muttered.

"While I do not completely doubt you," Edgeworth stated slowly, "I find this information somewhat...hard to digest."

"That is understandable. I shall give you another few days. In the meantime, explore the city, have some fun. I will come by again on...Tuesday morning?"

Phoenix nodded. "And you'll show us where Blackquill went?"

"Precisely." The woman conjured another gap. "Goodbye, practitioners of the law."

* * *

Reimu looked up at the white moon. "It's getting late now, we should probably head back to the shrine."

Marisa yawned. "I'll head home after some sake. You wouldn't mind sharing some, would you?"

A sigh. "Fine."

"Hey, don't act all grouchy. It's Blackquill's fault we're up this late."

"In my defense, the Gensokyo Chronicle was quite extensive."

"Hey Reimu, do you think anyone'll see us if we just fly from here?"

"...Probably not, but we should just walk to be safe."

Marisa's shoulders drooped. "But that's gonna take so long..."

"Still your tongue, Kirisame-dono." Blackquill smirked. "A thirty-minute walk is hardly long. Let us hurry; Taka does hate it when I'm out at such an hour. And Ibuki-dono probably forgot to feed him."

They reached the forest's edge within ten minutes...and Marisa was already tired. Physical endurance was clearly not her forte.

"Marisa, it can't be that bad."

Marisa pouted. "It is!"

"You should walk more often, then. Exercise is important, you know."

"Stop," Blackquill interjected suddenly. "I believe that we have company."

Reimu looked around, but saw nothing. "Uh...are you sure?"

Marisa's eyes widened. "Look out!"

Blackquill whirled around, ducking as a large shadow flew over his head. "Hm. It would seem that my flesh is desired as sustenance."

The shadow stepped into the moonlight, revealing itself as a wolf youkai. Behind it was a small band of other wolves.

"You're pretty dumb if you think you can beat us in combat. I'd suggest running now, or you'll pay," Reimu threatened.

Marisa tightly clutched her Mini-Hakkero in her hand, waiting for the opportunity to use it.

To the humans' surprise, the wolf youkai laughed.

"True! However, you are protecting an outsider. And you cannot use your full power without running the risk of hurting him." It bared its fangs. "And we are hungry. A free meal will not slip away from us so easily!"

"A free meal, you say?" Blackquill drew his sword. "We'll see. Let us have a duel, beast. Without your little comrades. If I win, you inform the other nearby residents of this forest that I am not to be attacked."

"Oh? An interesting offer. And suppose I win?"

"Then eat as much as you require. I would prefer to remain alive afterwards, but again, that is up to you."

"Blackquill! Are you insane!?"

Blackquill turned to the aghast shrine maiden. "Of course. Have faith in me." Silently, he mouthed, _And worst case scenario, Yukari comes._

Reimu nodded, though with an anxious expression on her face.

Meanwhile, the wolf's compatriots had backed off, leaving their leader facing Blackquill.

Blackquill got into a fighting stance. "Your move."

The wolf charged forward, jaws opened wide. Just before he reached Blackquill, his speed increased dramatically, and Blackquill barely deflected the attack in time, leaping backwards to avoid a swipe at his midriff.

_So, he's not afraid of combat. Let's try... _"**Mind Sigil "Despair Resonance"**!" The spell card floated toward his opponent, who...grabbed it...

_What the hell!?_

"We were watching your duel with the puppeteer, you know. It seems that your ability to control minds is still far too weak against a prepared enemy." The youkai flicked the card to the ground. "Looks like you've got nothing left, hm?"

"It would seem so," Blackquill conceded. "I suppose I shall have to taint my blade with your blood. A pity."

"Biting words," was the reply. "I suppose you still think you can beat me."

"I know I can." _But easily? Certainly not. He seems to have an innate resistance to physical harm; only a strong strike will draw blood, and preparing for such a blow will give him an opportunity to attack first._

_So, of course, _Blackquill reasoned, _I'll do what I always do when I lack a plan; create a spell card._

Cue logical analysis mode. **(A/N: And big wall of italicized text.)**

_He is almost as fast as me, and a great deal more durable. His claws can probably hurt me a great deal more than my sword can hurt him. In a drawn out fight, he will have the edge, so I need to cripple him heavily in a single blow. A spell card that affects emotion won't do anything, so I have no other option. I need to maintain a range advantage against him, but if I'm in range to hit him he's also able to hit me. Perhaps...I can use my little trick in the courtroom. Given enough force, that could be extremely deadly..._

_I need a spell card that will give me enough strength to completely incapacitate his legs. The less he can move, the better. Sometimes a samurai must resort to brutality...let it be now!_

Sensing that he'd given enough mental instruction, he pulled out a blank card, which instantly heated up and became...

"**Steel Wind**** "Nerve Sunder"**!"

His sword glowed dark red, releasing a hail of similarly tinted blades of air...

* * *

**YES, A CLIFFHANGER, BECAUSE...I actually don't know. I just haven't really planned how the rest of the fight is gonna play out.**

**Lel.**

**Leave a review! And also check out my newest Touhou story, "A Final Border To Cross." It's pretty mediocre but let me know what you think of it!**


	9. Chapter 8

**I just realized how much of my story is watery dialogue. Like, 90% of the story is just...conversation. So I figured, why not make a whole chapter full of it?**

**Enjoy. Hopefully after this week I have more free time. Studying for tests, sports tryouts, math competitions (yes, that's a thing)...eek. Sorry about the lack of recent updates.**

**-InstaBlimp**

**P.S. MERRY THANKSGIVING BOIS, ENJOY THE ZERO EDITS**

* * *

Chapter Eight

"It's about time he actually had a somewhat normal spell card," Reimu muttered as she watched Blackquill's latest addition to his arsenal fill the area with red, impossibly thin projectiles.

"But there's not enough firepower, ze."

"Not everyone's attacks are as flashy as yours, Marisa. You just don't know what strategy is."

"That's not true!" Marisa protested. "Being flashy _is _my strategy!"

"Which isn't even a strategy..."

"Whatever," Marisa grumbled. "Let's watch Blackquill da ze."

* * *

For a second, Blackquill wondered if he'd made some sort of mistake.

_I said I needed more strength! How will this help!?_

Indeed, his opponent was similarly confused. "You think you can harm me...with that? It seems more like a rainstorm than an attack."

Blackquill shrugged nonchalantly, not betraying his frustration to his enemy. "You won't know until you test it for yourself."

And with that, he charged once more. Luckily, the blades of wind seemed to pass through him harmlessly, allowing him to focus solely on dueling with the wolf.

Steel met claw for the umpteenth as the two clashed in the moonlit clearing. Duck, parry, jab, step back, thrust_—_

Blackquill winced as he felt the wolf scrape his side. Had he not leaned away, the swing would probably have reached his rib cage. Fortunately, before the wolf could follow up with another blow, a red projectile sliced into his arm, disorienting him. Another flew into his left leg, causing him to trip and fall.

"What's the matter?" Blackquill taunted. "Can't you handle a little rain?"

The wolf snarled. "Grr...just you_—_!" He suddenly paused, a confused expression on his face.

"Why isn't he getting up?" Reimu whispered to Marisa.

Marisa's eyes widened. "I...don't think he can...!"

Everyone watched as the formidable wolf youkai flailed about on the ground, desperately trying to get up.

It took Blackquill but a moment to put the pieces together. "Stop. This duel is over."

"No it isn't!" The wolf hopped up on his right leg, one arm hanging limply at his side. "I can still_—_"

"No, you cannot. Fear not, your honor is not on the line. Even I had no idea that my spell card would have such_—_" Blackquill gestured to the incapacitated leg and arm. "_—_effects."

"This cannot last forever!"

"You forget that it need not last forever; I could slay you this very instant. I have won the duel; clear out of here and see to it that my request is met."

The wolf nodded reluctantly. "As the loser, I suppose I have no choice." Turning to the other wolves, he said, "Let's get out of here."

Murmurs could be heard before the entire pack retreated into the forest, leaving no sign (save for some blood on the ground) that a spectacle had ever occurred.

Reimu was too stunned to formulate an actual sentence. "Did...did that just happen?"

Marisa shrugged. "Eh. That wolf wasn't strong or anything, ze. But still, Blackquill, good job! You've won an actual duel."

Blackquill pocketed the spell card as it flew back to him. "I'll have to get used to this new...system." _I'm not faring particularly badly, though, it seems. _For now, this minor victory was enough.

* * *

Blackquill woke up to the sound of Reimu once again complaining about the presence of someone apparently unwelcome. Briefly glancing toward the corner of his room, he noticed that Taka was still asleep on his new perch. Suika was nowhere to be found when he'd returned last night, and, much to his disappointment, Taka was hungry. Evidently some/most simple tasks couldn't be left to her.

On the bright side, Taka seemed to like the little oni girl.

"Who told you that you could drop by my shrine this early!?"

"Sorry!" someone squeaked. "I heard from Aya that there was an outsider staying here, so..."

"...Wait, what? Aya knows?"

"Uh...apparently."

"How the f_—_"

"Now, now, a shrine maiden should hardly resort to such language," another older, unknown woman interrupted, a hint of amusement in her voice.

Blackquill rubbed his eyes blearily before hastily putting on his suit and jacket...cloak...thing. Opening, the bedroom door, he stumbled out and into the main gathering space. "Hakurei-dono, it would be much appreciated if you could...complain in a slightly quieter manner..."

Reimu looked sheepish. "Er...sorry..."

"No problem." Noticing that the shrine maiden's hair ribbon was slightly off center, he leaned over and...

Reimu squeaked, turning red. "What_—what are you doing!?_"

"Fixing your hair," Blackquill responded absentmindedly. "I did this for Athena when she was a little girl, too. I have experience."

Reimu made no further comment, though her blush persisted until Blackquill removed his hand from her hair.

"Aww. They're so cute! Aren't they, Kanako?"

Blackquill looked at the source of the comment, a girl with green hair who seemed to share Reimu's occupation. Next to her was an older, taller woman with blue hair.

What was it with Gensokyo and hair colors? Akyuu's was already odd enough.

Blackquill raised an eyebrow. "What are you implying, precisely?"

"Wait, what? You and Reimu aren't..." she trailed off.

"...Aren't what?"

"Never mind." To her companion, she grumbled, "Stupid gossip crow."

"Alright then." Blackquill still looked askance. "What is your name?"

"Oh! Uh, I'm Sanae Kochiya. I'm the shrine maiden at the Moriya Shrine..." _—_Blackquill thought he heard Reimu mutter something under her breath_— _"...and this is Kanako. She's a goddess of climate and sky." She looked over at said goddess. "That's about right, isn't it?"

The blue haired woman chuckled. "Yes. Technically, Sanae, you could become a goddess yourself. You are Suwako's descendant, after all."

"Well, I'm not one _yet_."

"So deities exist here too?" Blackquill rubbed his forehead. "Good. As if I needed even more proof of how abnormal this place is." The Wright Anything Agency would probably have a field day here.

"Actually, a long time ago, gods and goddesses existed in the outside world. However, due to lack of faith, they were unable to maintain a corporeal form and eventually drifted into obscurity. No one really believes in the gods of Mount Olympus anymore, for example. But they did, in fact, exist, and still do. They simply have no influence over worldly affairs."

"I'm assuming faith is a divine being's lifeblood."

Sanae snorted. "'Divine being' isn't the same thing as 'goddess' in Gensokyo. Celestials fall under that category too, and_—_"

"You're talking about Tenshi, right?" Reimu sighed. "What a selfish b_—_"

"Anyway," Kanako continued. "Who are you?"

"My name is Simon Blackquill. I am a prosecuting attorney. Or rather, 'was.'"

Sanae nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah. We don't really need those here. At least I haven't seen any yet."

"Ah, so you come from the outside world as well?"

"Yes. There was no faith in the outside world, so I transported the shrine here. It's on top of Youkai Mountain, should you ever consider dropping by. I would appreciate the faith."

"You...what?" Immediately after this outburst, Blackquill mentally facepalmed. He was talking to a deity, after all. He'd be surprised to learn of something remotely realistic she _couldn't_ do, in all honesty. "Never mind. So, did you come all this way just to see me? I'm honored, but I don't quite see the point."

Sanae looked down awkwardly. "Well, there's been a lot of rumors about you."

"Such as...?"

"Your arrival here. Aya saw it."

Blackquill turned to Reimu. "Is that the tengu reporter you mentioned?"

"Yes. She's annoying. Her newspaper is mostly speculation and, like, 10 percent outright lies."

"Harsh."

"So, did that really happen?" Sanae interrupted. "And also, is it true that you can_—_"

"Manipulate others? Yes, I can." Blackquill's lips twisted into a smirk. "Very helpful in court, I must say."

"Oh, tell me about your adventures!" Sanae's eyes were practically glowing with excitement. "Did you catch any really shady criminals? And crime lords? And_—_"

"You remind me of someone I know very well. Annoyingly cheerful. But I will oblige..."

* * *

"You didn't give them the full story," Reimu commented after the visitors had departed.

"I felt no need to. In due time, and only if necessary, I will tell them about my experiences in prison. Knowing I unjustly spent years languishing there seems to have caused your friend enough heartbreak."

Having little to do, the two current residents of the Hakurei Shrine were simply on the porch, sipping tea. Admittedly, this description is somewhat mundane, but truthfully they were doing little else.

Reimu yawned. "Eh. Today's a boring day. I almost wish there was an incident or something..."

"Truth be told, I wish the same. Resolving these incidents seems quite intriguing."

"You'd probably be good at it."

"Hakurei-dono, your hair ribbon is slipping. Would you like me to_—_"

"I'm fine!" Reimu said hurriedly, her cheeks turning red again. "Really, though, why'd you do that?"

Blackquill gave her a sidelong glance. "...What, exactly?"

"You know, touching my hair! That was embarrassing!"

"Was it now? I assumed you would find it more embarrassing to leave the asymmetry..." Blackquill smirked. "Unresolved, so to speak."

Reimu glared at him angrily.


	10. Chapter 9

**So, you may be wondering, why is this chapter even here? **

**I'll admit, I'd originally intended for Phoenix and co. to finally enter Gensokyo. However, I was requested to include some interaction between Blackquill and Youmu. It does make a great deal of sense. Both wield a blade. Both are dual in nature - Youmu physically, Blackquill mentally. It works.**

**So instead, I'll throw in a Netherworld arc. Sorry, Phoenix, you'll have to wait at least another few chapters.**

**Actual proofreading and editing for this chapter coming soon. Lol. Did I mention this chapter doesn't even have all that much to do with Youmu? I think I'm goin' cray-cray.**

**On a side note, writing dialogue between Yukari and Blackquill is really damn fun. Too bad I go overboard on that kind of stuff all the time.**

**7.8/10 "3 much dialogue 5 me"**

**\- G Captive ~ Dream On**

* * *

Chapter Nine

Ink Black Cherry Blossoms

Yet another wonderful morning at the Hakurei Shrine. As he woke up and yawned, Blackquill had to wonder whether bad weather even existed in Gensokyo...well, he'd just seen a goddess of the sky yesterday. Perhaps she handled such things as well?

Eh. No point in overthinking.

_Hopefully today's a normal day. No surprises, no duels, I want to find my bearings._

"Oh, you're finally dressed. Today's a busy day for you, so get ready!"

And with those words, Yukari popped up out of nowhere and shoved Blackquill into another gap. (**A/N: Too lazy to come up with extra banter between these two because WHAT'S EXPOSITION ANYWAY HUE.)**

_Life has a twisted sense of humor._

* * *

Blackquill landed on the ground face first.

"Gah!" he yelled. "What the hell!"

Yukari glanced at him amusedly. "Apologies, but I promised a friend of mine that I'd introduce you to her, and...she's quite excited to see you, I must say."

"Couldn't you have picked a better time?"

"Probably." Yukari smirked. "What, were you unprepared?"

Blackquill glared, then sighed. He looked around. Around him were cherry trees. Further away from him were cherry trees. And as far as the eye could see...you know already.

"Where are we? Does Gensokyo have such a large expanse of cherry blossoms?"

Yukari shook her head. "Sadly, no. You are in Hakugyokurou, essentially the center of the Netherworld."

Abort all mental processes.

"...I'm in the Netherworld."

"Yes."

"As in, the afterlife."

"Other than Heaven and Hell, yes."

"Why does your friend live here, then!?"

Yukari raised an eyebrow. "You should be able to answer that yourself."

_...oh._

"She's dead, isn't she." Blackquill's tone was flat.

Yukari grinned. "Indeed. In fact you could say she's the queen of the ghosts here. Come along, you'll meet her soon."

* * *

Disregarding the fact that no one who resided there was alive, the Netherworld was a pretty nice place. The environment was completely pure, supposedly by definition. And there were a _lot _of cherry blossoms (in Hakugyokurou at least). As the two reached the top of a massive flight of stone steps, Blackquill could see a large tree dwarfing everything else in sight.

"Do trees normally grow that tall, Yakumo-dono?"

"Hm?" Yukari looked around. "Oh, you mean the Saigyou Ayakashi. No, that tree is, in fact, a youkai."

"A youkai tree?" Blackquill questioned. "Really? How did it become a youkai?"

"That, dear Blackquill, is a story for another time."

"I feel that I deserve to ask questions, considering what you just did."

"It's a sensitive topic. Perhaps I will tell you one day. I'd also suggest not bringing the subject up when we reach our destination. The tale concerns her far more than me."

Blackquill nodded. Though he wanted to press further he knew that Yukari wasn't being secretive for the sake of being secretive...this time.

"Fine. I don't suppose you can describe your friend to me?"

"She's..." Yukari laughed. "Quite amicable. But rather whimsical. I often wonder whether she's capable of using logic..."

"Oh, is logic still a necessity in Gensokyo?" Blackquill asked sarcastically. "I wasn't aware."

Yukari ignored him. "And she has quite the appetite. She could probably eat as much as the whole Wright Anything Agency in one sitting. In fact, that estimate may still be too conservative. Oh, did I mention she's over one thousand years old? We were best friends when she was alive."

"...I doubt that information will be useful, but thanks."

"You don't seem very enthusiastic about coming here."

"Should I be?"

"What's not to like? Besides, even if you don't get along with her, you'll probably befriend her servant. Who's also the gardener, by the way."

"How do you know?"

"She's a duelist as well, though she uses two swords. Personality-wise, you two are also quite similar, though she is more approachable and friendly."

Blackquill scowled. "Of course you couldn't resist including that last bit."

"Oh, we've arrived."

Blackquill turned. Not far away was a large building that resembled the Hakurei Shrine to some extent, though he wasn't particularly certain whether the Netherworld had any use for a shrine. It appeared older and more run-down, most likely because it was exactly that.

"Is that a shrine?"

"Formerly. It hasn't been used as a shrine for a while. The spirits, as you can probably imagine, don't particularly care about gods, goddesses, and the like. They don't offer particularly much faith anyway." Yukari grasped his hand tightly. "Now, shall we enter, and _attempt_ to make friends?"

Caught off guard, Blackquill had no suitable rejoinder.

* * *

"Yukari!" a cheerful voice called out as the addressed youkai and her unwilling companion entered. "You're here!"

The ghost stepped/floated forward, and Blackquill saw his host for the first time. The first thing that he noticed was the pink hair.

No, seriously, what was it with Gensokyo and weird hair colors?

The kimono she wore was also oddly colored. Pale blue with white blobs on it...oh, yeah, those were phantoms. On top of her head was a mob cap similar to Yukari's, only blue (unsurprisingly).

"Hello, Yuyuko." Yukari's voice seemed perfectly casual, friendly, and at ease, a voice which Blackquill had never heard her use. It actually made her sound like a normal person. "Here, this is the man I spoke of. Introduce yourself, if you would be so kind...?"

"My name is Simon Blackquill. I have few talents of use here other than wielding a blade, but it is good enough."

Yuyuko tilted her head, as if analyzing him. "Then why are you in Gensokyo?"

Blackquill looked at Yukari as if to ask, _Didn't you tell her already?_

"She's forgetful," Yukari whispered. "Just remind her."

Blackquill nodded almost imperceptibly. "I was brought to Gensokyo by this woman," he said to the pink-haired ghost, pointing at Yukari. "Your...ah, friend. I am unsure why she did so."

Yuyuko giggled. "She's probably up to something again. Another top secret plan to invade the moon, no doubt!"

Blackquill turned to Yukari again. "You tried to _invade the moon?_"

"It's a long story..." Yukari sighed as the group seated themselves at a fairly modern-looking coffee table. "Where's Youmu?"

"Probably trying to hide." Yuyuko's mirthful laughter was even louder than before. "You know she's afraid of you."

As if on cue, a girl with a green dress entered the room holding a tray of tea and assorted crackers. Surprisingly he recognized the latter as a popular variety from the outside world. Still, that mountain of biscuits was massive; in no possible circumstance could he imagine a small gathering of people such as this finishing it.

He instead focused on the person whom he assumed to be a servant of some kind. White hair. Huh. She didn't look that old...oh, right, Gensokyo and its myriad colors of hair. And the swords she was carrying on her back and waist...and the white blob floating around her...

Wait, what?

Yukari, noticing his confused stare at Youmu, realized something she forgot to mention. "Oh, yes, this is Youmu Konpaku, the gardener of Hakugyokurou. Youmu, meet Blackquill. Blackquill, Youmu. She's a half-phantom, by the way. That white thing is her phantom half."

The two awkwardly looked at each other. Yukari sighed.

"Look, aren't you going to say anything? A greeting, perhaps?"

"...hi." Youmu timidly set the tray down on the table and turned to leave.

"Leaving so soon?" Yukari smirked. "Won't you stay for a while? Blackquill's a very interesting person. Don't you want to learn more about him?"

Youmu looked to her mistress as if to say 'please don't agree with her.'

Yuyuko obviously was oblivious to Youmu's wishes. "Why not? I'm sure you two will get along."

The poor half-phantom had no choice but to sit at the only open seat available, right next to the equally uncomfortable prosecutor.

As Yuyuko and Yukari began chatting amicably, Youmu and Blackquill stayed silent, neither even bothering to touch the teacups.

Oh, Blackquill, the legend. Slowly he grew more and more bored.

Briefly he considered challenging Youmu to a duel, but decided against it. While it could be interesting, he had no idea how strong she was. Hell, for all he knew, she could be a centuries-old samurai that completely outclassed him. Ultimately, as much as he hated to, he decided to start an actual conversation to learn more about her.

Athena would be proud.

"So." Blackquill fumbled around mentally with his words for a while before continuing. "How old are you?"

Yukari almost spit her tea out and Yuyuko had to stifle her laughter as this most subtle of inquiries was put forward, much to Youmu's chagrin.

"I'm twenty-six years old."

Blackquill was surprised. "Then I'm three years your senior." Now that Youmu was beside him, he took the opportunity to examine her swords more closely.

The one on her back was a long katana similar to his own, but in pristine condition, perhaps due to some enchantment or another. A floral design could be seen on the hilt, and an actual flower was tied to the top of the sheath. The one on her waist was a good deal shorter (a wakizashi, if he remembered correctly), and looked worse for wear. However, it still looked taken care of quite well.

"Uh...um...well. These are excellently crafted." Being nice to people was definitely much more difficult than instilling fear and the like.

"How would you know?" Youmu muttered. Apparently she was still rather miffed about Blackquill's social mishap.

Luckily, Yukari answered her instead. "He's quite a proficient duelist in the outside world. I'm fairly certain his katana is shorter than yours, though. But it should still be enough common ground for you to, oh, I don't know..." Yukari's eyes gleamed threateningly. "_Be somewhat sociable?_"

Youmu gulped.

"You're scaring her, Yukari," Yuyuko piped up, though her voice conveyed no disapproval.

"Hm. Perhaps I am." Yukari took another cracker from the pile. "Well, this visit has certainly not gone the way I hoped it would."

Blackquill laughed coldly. "What, the great Yakumo-dono's plan has failed? Tragic. What, did you expect it to work?"

"It seems I was mistaken. I was hoping you would recognize the importance of actually befriending people, but..." Yukari shrugged. "It seems that someone like you is incorrigible. A fatal flaw, here in Gensokyo."

"Oh, don't act as though you're perfect." Blackquill was legitimately incensed. "Your ego disgusts me. First you abduct me with no explanation, drop me into a world where almost anyone can be the death of me, and now you've forced me to come here to lecture me on making _friends?_" He rose from the table. "Your _pride _is a fatal flaw as well!"

Yukari grinned mysteriously. "Prove it."

"Oh, I will, and more!"

"Excellent. That's quite the threat; a spell card duel declaration, if I'm not mistaken." Yukari flicked her wrist, and the party of four suddenly found themselves outside, Blackquill thrown carelessly onto the ground. "What shall it be? Three cards for each of us? You decide; it won't matter."

"Please don't...!" Youmu squeaked. "He's—I promise I'll—"

"Oh? It seems someone is willing to defend you. Sadly, too little, too late. Besides, Youmu, doesn't he deserve a little punishment? You didn't seem to like him."

"I—I..." Youmu looked at Blackquill, who had only just recovered. He gave her an unreadable expression, one that he had perfected over many years. "Fear not, Konpaku-dono. At the very least, I'll survive." After a pause, he added, "Theoretically."

"I'd suggest you watch this carefully, Youmu—you of all people should know how much you can learn about a man from observing how he fights," Yukari called out. Another gap materialized, and Blackquill's sheathed katana fell onto the ground in front of its owner.

Yuyuko shook her head as Youmu turned to her. "First of all, you should know that I cannot stop her. Second of all, do you truly believe she'll hurt our guest so badly? I doubt it. I think this will be a learning experience for you and Blackquill both..."

* * *

Blackquill knew, as well as anyone else, that he'd already lost.

As he stared down his opponent, an immeasurably powerful being with the body of a young woman, he could only pray that he didn't lose too badly.

"I've been rather lenient with you so far, Blackquill," Yukari intoned deliberately, "but it's about time you learned your place. _Your _pride will be _your _downfall!"

* * *

**Did any of you expect this turn of events? I didn't either. Actually, I have no idea where this story's going to go, as my previous idea had an gi-fucking-normous plothole right in the middle. I'm trying to salvage it, and I think I can, but it's gonna involve some work and some MAJOR shifting of character roles. The secondary protagonist will end up being either Reimu and Youmu in this new plot, and I think the former fits better, but we shall see.**

**As always, tell me what you think of my story in a review! Hell, even a PM would suffice. I love it when the review number goes up.**


	11. Chapter 10

**I'm back. Hopefully. Life's been really hectic this past month, prepping for AMC 10 and I've just learned I qualified for the AIME. So...lots of math to do. Meaning I've had little to no time to write. Think of this chapter as basically proof I'm not dead...since that's all it is, really. **

**-InstaGnar**

* * *

Chapter Ten

THE MOST ONE-SIDED FIGHT EVER LMFAO

_or_

Blackquill VS Yukari

Blackquill tightly gripped his sword, mind clouded with trepidation (though he didn't show it). Okay, so _maybe _he lost control of his emotions for a bit. Maybe he shouldn't have angered Yukari. At least, he assumed Yukari was angry. He couldn't think of any other reason why she would trick him into a duel.

A very, very unfair duel.

But there was no backing down now, so he might as well see this through.

He ran forward suddenly, looking to land a blow...

And slammed into Yukari's open palm. It felt as if he'd rammed his head into a brick wall. As he reeled backwards from the sudden strike, he heard an infuriatingly lilting voice taunt him again.

"Tsk. Is that the best you can do?" Yukari smirked. "Perhaps I chose the wrong one for this after all."

"You never bothered telling me why I was needed in the first place!" For the umpteenth time, this single fact irritated Blackquill. "Maybe if you_—_"

He was abruptly cut off by a danmaku bullet colliding with his chest, blasting him backwards.

"This is a duel, remember? You're not even putting up a fight. Not that you can."

"Do you really think so?" Blackquill hissed. "_Fine._"

He lunged again, aiming directly for Yukari's neck, not caring how badly he'd hurt her.

Apparently there was no need to worry, since his blade never even reached her. The ground suddenly gave way beneath him, and he fell down, further and further...until he emerged back at his starting point, staggering around, disoriented.

"Sloppy _and _desperate, now? Tsk. You can't hope to win against anyone if you lose control so easily...let alone me."

Blackquill gritted his teeth, knowing full well that Yukari was right. At the same time, honor dictated that he try his hardest.

And besides, he would never submit to this woman! If anything, _she _was at fault!

He reached into his pocket for a spell card...

_Wait. _

One of Blackquill's most fundamental beliefs was that logic should be used to guide every decision. He'd upheld this principle quite well so far, but against a woman who seemed to literally defy logic, how would his mind fare?

Time to reapply the basics of deduction.

* * *

**_Take what you know._**

_None of my three spell cards can do much to a woman who bends reality to her will. _For all he knew, this statement might not even be an exaggeration.

_She could have ended this duel as soon as it began, but didn't._

_I...probably offended her. _(Probably a reasonable assumption.)

_**Therefore...**_

_She is merely toying with me, and enjoys doing so. She wants to make a fool of me._

_The duel will not end unless she wishes it to. _A sad fact, but there was absolutely nothing he could do to influence the duration, let alone outcome, of the fight.

**_Plan of Action?_**

...

Nope. Nothing. There was no reasonable way to escape the situation with all of his dignity, and/or pride intact. Not surprising, really—he already knew no "complicated mental process" (an informal name given to what went on in Blackquill's head; a surprising number of prosecutors and even defense attorneys had picked up this euphemism_—_at least he assumed it was one) could save him now.

So, what should he do?

Continue the battle as before?

Try even harder?

Attempt to create a new spell card?

In the end, his decision surprised even himself.

* * *

"I admit my loss." Blackquill sheathed his sword. "This duel is over."

Youmu started. "_What!?_"

Yuyuko hid her smile behind her fan. So he had at least _some _intelligence.

While normally he would never back down from a duel, the word "duel" referred to a battle of honor, a clash of wills for a purpose. However, Blackquill reasoned, this duel was not so. Instead it was merely a way for Yukari to make him suffer. As such, he felt no shame in surrendering so soon.

Yukari raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Taking the easy way out?"

"Perhaps...well, as the loser, I must accede to whatever request you have."

Yukari pretended to think for a little while. "Hmm...well, for a start, you could take back everything you said earlier. After all, I was only trying to give sound advice."

"What!? You_—_"

Yukari giggled. "Now, now, I won, didn't I? So you have to do what I say."

"...fine. You were right, and I was wrong."

"Mmm...good enough, coming from you. And second of all, I want you to make some new friends today."

_You must be joking...__wait. _"Hold on. You wanted me to duel you so when you won you could tell me to _make friends?_"

"It was the only way you would ever do such a thing. Think about it. You've been in Gensokyo for, oh, more or less a week. And how many residents can you claim to even remotely know personally? Reimu, perhaps, and only because she's as sorely lacking in company as you are. Marisa is everyone's friend, and I suppose some people have good first impressions of you. Other than that...nobody."

"I understand," Blackquill grumbled. "I'm just...accustomed to being alone."

"Now would be a good time to change that."

"How?"

"Why, a duel, of course. What better way for you and Youmu to interact than a sword fight? Neither of you are socially adept," Yukari added cheekily.

"But I've only just _met _her! Are you insane!?"

"Of course I am." Yukari grinned. "You should know."

_Oh, hell._

* * *

At least Youmu didn't look any more thrilled than he did. In fact, Yukari and Yuyuko were the ones excited.

At the same time, he could tell that Youmu was still mad at him to some extent. Clearly she didn't intend to hold back, and neither would he.

"Remember not to hurt each other too badly, okay?" Yuyuko said not-at-all-helpfully. Perhaps if she didn't act as though she were spectating an exciting tennis match instead of a duel with _real weapons_, her advice would have been heeded. "And no spell cards!"

No spell cards in a duel in Gensokyo? Well, to make a fight between Youmu and Blackquill fair, it only made sense for that stipulation to be added. And Youmu didn't particularly like using them in the first place...considering that in a true duel she could probably defeat quite a few of Gensokyo's more powerful individuals.

Oh well. Still too early in the morning for such a thing. But at least his opponent wasn't a sadistic youkai many times older than the country he lived in.

"Begin!"

As soon as Yukari's words rang out, Youmu sprinted, no, _dashed_, no...well, she moved faster than any ordinary human, that was for sure. Knowing he couldn't possibly block the incoming blow, Blackquill instead quickly leapt backwards, only to quickly step to the side as she lunged toward him. Her aggression was unrelenting, and, if Blackquill was honest with himself, warranted. To an extent.

Not that he cared. It's pretty hard to ponder such trivialities when you're in danger of being gutted. Fortunately Youmu seemed to have a very direct style, aiming at him with seemingly every attack and movement. While being in such a situation was frightening at times, it also eased prediction. Sadly the best way to exploit predictability—counterattack—was not a possibility since he could hardly even see Youmu when she moved, let alone hit her. His only hope was to essentially hold his katana out and hope Youmu ran into it. (In other words, he was probably going to lose.)

_When did I become so pessimistic? _He briefly wondered. Oh, right. In a world where any normal-looking woman could completely thrash him without effort nor mercy, it was hard to be confident.

Well, it couldn't hurt to try parrying an attack, right?

He firmly gripped the hilt of his weapon and attempted to defend himself against the next attack, only to nearly falter at the force of Youmu's slash. Nearly. Luckily he didn't, or he'd probably be dead. Or as close to dead as one could be; he didn't think Yukari would simply let him die.

Nonetheless, he was...nervous. A very un-Blackquill-esque emotion. He knew he was, at least in terms of strength and speed, outmatched, though perhaps not in technique. And no spell cards meant no possible mental manipulation, the one way back into the fight for him. But he would never let Youmu know that.

"You fight well," Blackquill commented. "This is enjoyable."

Youmu scowled. "Liar. You detest this as much as I do."

Blackquill, seizing his opportunity, swiftly put as much force as possible into his next swing, forcing Youmu to step back to maintain balance. A second strike followed, and a third. As their blades met yet again, he smirked as Youmu glared at him. "Precisely."

* * *

"They seem to be getting along splendidly," Yukari commented as Youmu attempted to decapitate Blackquill within the first few seconds of the duel.

Yuyuko had an interested expression on her face. "I never knew Youmu was so sensitive about her age. Why, if you and I were..." She trailed off.

"Many a man would not exist were I so easily offended." A short laugh. "I should probably pay more attention to this duel. There are potential injuries to be prevented, after all."

"Yes, indeed. And have you ever seen Youmu so hostile in her life? She's not shy, that's for sure."

"Blackquill seems to have brought out her fighting spirit. This will be entertaining."

"Hold on, how long is this going to last?"

"About...twenty minutes. Give or take a few. It depends on how long Youmu takes to exact her revenge. Really, she is quite childish when it comes to this sort of thing, isn't she?"

"So is the outsider. I must say, my friend, you've found quite the candidate."

"He is aware of his ability, but not yet of how powerful it can and will eventually become." A mysterious, almost worried expression crossed Yukari's face. "The only question is how soon."

* * *

**After this week I shouldn't have any major time-consumers for a long time, so I'll most likely be free to write. Then again my homework load is exponentially growing so you never know. I hope for the best.**

**Leave a review, if you would be so kind. An e-donation, if you will.**


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